§ Mr. ParryTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the level of unemployment in the construction industry in(a) the Riverside constituency,(b) the Liverpool travel-to-work area and (c) Merseyside at the latest available date; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. McLoughlin[holding answer 17 May 1993]: Available estimates from the autumn 1992 labour force survey show that in Merseyside there were 11,000 people unemployed on the ILO definition whose last previous employment had been in the construction industry.
Information for the other areas is not available from the labour force survey.
§ Mr. ParryTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans Her Majesty's Government have to reduce unemployment on Merseyside; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. McLoughlin[holding answer 17 May 1993]: The overall policy of the Department, on behalf of Her Majesty's Government, is to promote a free and flexible labour market that is designed to help encourage employment in Merseyside as in all areas. In addition the Department provides a range of employment and training programmes and local initiatives, through the employment service and training and enterprise councils, to help people increase their skills, and equip themselves for work. From April 1993 this range of measures was enhanced by an extra half million opportunities.
§ Mr. ParryTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the level of unemployment in the Liverpool, Riverside constituency at the latest available date.
§ Mr. McLoughlin[holding answer 17 May 1993]: In March 1993, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 7,427 claimant unemployed people in the Liverpool Riverside constituency. This figure is on the unadjusted basis.