§ Mr. Denzil DaviesTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the percentage of workless households in(a) England and (b) Wales. [139453]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Denzil Davies, dated 30 November 2000:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question on the percentage of workless households in England and Wales. (139453)
The most recent estimates are that, in spring (March to May) 2000 the percentage of workless households in England was 14.9 per cent and in Wales it was 21.2 per cent.
These estimates refer to working age households, which are defined as households with no-one in employment, that include at least one person of working age, i.e. a woman aged between 16 and 59 or a man aged between 16 and 64. Households with economically inactive people on disability benefit are included in these estimates.