HC Deb 15 June 1993 vol 226 cc513-4W
Mr. Leighton

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many jobs have been gained or lost in the European Community in each year since 1985.

Miss Widdecombe

The following table shows the available information:

Net increase in numbers of people in employment (thousands)
Year 1EC 10 1EC 12
1985–86 1,052 n/a
1986–87 868 1,492
1987–88 2,012 2,490
1988–89 1,440 2,042
1989–90 2,763 3,200
1990–91 338 600

Source:

Eurostat "Labour Force Survey 1983–91".

1"EC 12" covers the present 12 member states. Spain and Portugal joined in 1986, so comparable figures can be calculated for 1985–86 onwards only for the 10 previous member states, designated in the table as "EC 10".

Mr. Spellar

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the annual rate of turnover in employment for the last year for which figures are available.

Miss Widdecombe

The Department does not publish or collect statistics relating to the annual rate of turnover in employment.

Mr. Pope

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in(a) Accrington and Rossendale, Blackburn, Burnley and Pendle travel-towork areas in total and (b) Accrington and Rossendale travel-to-work area over the age of 60 years who are unemployed are specifically excluded from the unemployment statistics because of their age.

Miss Widdecombe

The claimant count is a by-product of the system designed to pay unemployment-related benefits. It comprises those claiming unemployment benefit, income support or national insurance credits, who say that they are unemployed and satisfy the conditions for claiming benefits.

Unemployed people aged 60 years and over are not required to be available for work in order to receive income support and national insurance credits. Unlike people aged under 60 years, they do not have to attend at an Employment Service local office to claim these benefits and consequently, if they choose not to attend, will not appear on the claimant count.

Mr. Pope

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in(a) the Accrington and Rossendale, Blackburn, Burnley and Pendle travel-towork areas in total and (b) the Accrington and Rossendale travel-to-work area would be eligible for unemployment benefit if they were not excluded from the calculation because they are claiming other sources of benefit.

Miss Widdecombe

The claimant count is a by-product of the system designed to pay unemployment-related benefits. It includes those claiming income support or national insurance credits on account of being unemployed as well as those claiming unemployment benefit itself. No information is available on those who do not claim these benefits.