§ Mr. RedwoodTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his assessment of the effects on United Kingdom employment of the change in the value of the(a) Deutschmark and (b) euro relative to the pound sterling since 1 May 1997. [77590]
§ Ms HewittThe effects of exchange rate changes cannot be reliably isolated from the other influences on UK employment. Since the second quarter of 1997 total employment is estimated to have increased by 503,000 to stand at its highest ever recorded level.