§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list for the United Kingdom in total, and by standard region including Greater London, the number of households claiming unemployment benefit for each year since 1978–79.
§ Mr. Michael Forsyth[holding answer 21 January 1994]: Estimates from the labour force survey—LFS—of
Households where either the head, or the cohabiting partner of the head, is claiming unemployment related benefits. Not seasonally adjusted Thousands Spring each year Standard regions 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 South East 451 465 475 517 468 363 225 202 297 452 508 Greater London 218 241 231 258 233 197 131 115 155 214 250 Rest of South East 233 223 243 259 235 166 94 87 142 238 258 East Anglia 58 48 57 60 55 36 20 23 33 36 51 South West 118 123 115 126 132 103 57 48 82 116 134 West Midlands 255 243 250 235 229 183 115 80 137 162 170 East Midlands 121 135 153 147 156 127 81 62 88 96 94 Yorkshire and Humberside 193 201 215 221 209 194 120 93 110 140 128 North West 289 280 268 290 270 245 166 139 150 178 175 North 146 155 149 146 149 145 98 83 84 83 89 Wales 115 99 109 116 126 108 65 55 64 70 68 Scotland 193 221 231 246 248 204 137 109 124 128 125 Northern Ireland 80 75 83 84 89 79 62 65 57 58 58 UNITED KINGDOM 2,018 2,044 2,105 2,189 2,132 1,788 1,147 960 1,226 1,519 1,599 Source: Labour Force Survey.
Note: Figures are based on the eligibility rules for claiming unemployment related benefits at the time of each survey.