§ Mr. Ben ChapmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the levels of unemployment in Wirral, South since May 1997. [81285]
§ Mr. Nicholas BrownEconomic stability and active labour market programmes have helped people move from welfare to work in all parts of the country. In my hon. Friend's constituency, claimant unemployment has halved since 1997 and long-term unemployment has fallen by over 75 per cent.
As well as the New Deals, we have Action Teams for Jobs and Employment Zones operating in areas with persistently high levels of unemployment. Up to October this year, the Wirral Action Team had engaged with 1,344 jobless people and found work for 676 of them.