§ Mr. ParryTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate she has made of the change in the number of jobs in the football pools industry in(a) Liverpool and (b) Merseyside since the national lottery was established; and if she will make a statement. [20769]
530W
§ Mr. PaiceThe Government are aware that some jobs are being lost in the football pools industry on Merseyside. We naturally regret job losses in any sector of the economy. While jobs will inevitably disappear as markets change in a successful and vibrant economy they will be replaced by new jobs providing new products and services. On balance, over 900,000 extra jobs have been created in Britain over the last four years, and unemployment on Merseyside has fallen by nearly 30,000. A wide range of employment and training measures is available to help those who lose their jobs take advantage of the employment growth currently taking place in the UK.