§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for(a) each ward and (b) the total in Shrewsbury and Atcham the number of (i) long-term unemployed, (ii) youth unemployment and (iii) total unemployed for each year since 1992; and if he will make a statement. [113275]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Paul Marsden, dated 8 March 2000:
As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question on unemployed people in Shrewsbury and Atcham.The ONS publishes a monthly count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits. The claimant count consists of all people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance or National Insurance 768W credits at Employment Service local offices. They must declare that they are out of work, capable of, available for and actively seeking work during the week in which the claim is made.Information on the levels of claimant by age and duration (computerised claims only) for wards and parliamentary constituencies can be obtained from the Nomis database at the House of Commons Library. Computerised claims do not include clerical claims which currently make up about one per cent. of the total claimant count.