HC Deb 18 December 1995 vol 268 c875W
Mr. Hanson

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate her Department has made of the number of individuals out of work for more than six months who do not feature in the unemployment figures. [6078]

Mrs. Angela Knight

Like many other countries, the United Kingdom publishes two official measures of unemployment. Each measure defines unemployment in a different and unique way and is equally valid. There will be some people who appear in one measure but not in the other. However, neither measure excludes those who have been unemployed for more than six months according to the particular definition being used.