HC Deb 08 September 2004 vol 424 cc1294-5W
Mr. Woodward

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate the Government has made of(a) how many and (b) what percentage of children grew up in jobless households in (i) St. Helens and (ii) the UK, broken down by region, in each year since 1997. [186822]

Ruth Kelly

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Shaun Woodward, dated 8 September 2004: As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about children in workless households. (186822) The attached table gives the available estimates of the number and the percentage of children resident in workless households in St. Helens Local Authority District and each region of the UK, for the three months ending May of each year from 1997 to 2004. Estimates are taken from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to sampling error. Estimates for St. Helens Local Authority District are based on small sample sizes and are subject to a high level of sampling variability. In particular, year-to-year changes are likely to show considerable volatility.

3 Children living in workless households as a percentage of children living in all working-age households with known economic activity status.

4 Estimates for St. Helens LAD are based on small sample sizes and are therefore subject to a high degree of sampling variability. They should be treated with caution.

5 Not seasonally adjusted

Source:

ONS Labour Force Survey