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Labour Statistics

Mr. Roy Beggs: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to review the methods by which the numbers unemployed in the United Kingdom are quantified. [1431]

Mrs. Liddell: The Director of the Office for National Statistics is responsible for deciding the form, coverage and timing of release of statistics issued by his Office, taking into account the views of customers. ONS is presently consulting customers on the future presentation of labour market statistics; the consultation exercises was

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launched through an article in the Labour Market Trends published on 8 May. Comments on the proposals should be sent to ONS by 14 June.

The proposals set out for consultation reflect the House of Commons Employment Select Committee recommendation that more prominence should be given to the measure of unemployment which is based on the internationally agreed ILO definition.

Bereavement Allowance

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to extend eligibility for the widows bereavement allowance to widowers. [593]

Dawn Primarolo: There are no plans to extend the widows bereavement allowance to widowers.

Budget Statement

Ms Lawrence: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he intends to make his Budget Statement. [1909]

Mr. Gordon Brown: I am pleased to announce that the Budget Statement, promised in the manifesto, will be on Wednesday 2 July.

Inland Revenue (Salisbury Office)

Mr. Key: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the future of the Salisbury local office of the Inland Revenue. [74]

Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 19 May 1997]: Salisbury Tax Office is not currently proposed for a closure under the Inland Revenue's long-term programme of office restructuring.

Unemployment (Humberside)

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list by each year of age, the number of (a) male and (b) female 18 to 25-year-olds currently unemployed in Hull. [145]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 19 May 1997]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Kevin McNamara, dated 2 June 1997:

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply as the Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to your recent question (145) on the number of (a) male and (b) female 18 to 25 year olds currently unemployed in Hull travel-to-work area (TTWA) by each year of age.

ONS produce two measures of unemployment. The first, derived from the quarterly Labour Force Survey (LFS), is defined on a consistent and internationally recognised basis set out by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and counts as unemployed people who are: a) without a paid job; b) available to start work within the next two weeks and c) have either looked for work in the last four weeks or are waiting to start a job already obtained.
ONS also publishes the monthly claimant count, which is based on the administrative system and includes all people claiming unemployment-related benefits (i.e. Jobseekers Allowance, Income Support or National Insurance credits) at Employment Service offices on the day of the monthly count, who on that day had signed on as unemployed and available to do any suitable work. Essentially, all people who attend an Employment Service office to sign are counted, irrespective of whether they are actually receiving benefit.

2 Jun 1997 : Column: 94

The information you have requested for Hull is only available from the claimant count and is shown in the attached table.
Unadjusted claimant unemployment in Hull TTWA in April 1997

Age band	Male	Female
18	396	251
19	466	236
20-24(21)	2,362	771




(21) It is not possible to separate individual years from the total, the nearest claimant count approximation relates to the number of unemployed 20-24 year olds.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many (a) males and (b) females aged 18 to 25 years are currently unemployed in Kingston upon Hull, North; what percentage of the national total for this age bracket this figure represents; and if he will break down these figures into totals for males and females; [144]

(2) how many (a) males and (b) females in Hull aged 18 to 25 years are currently unemployed; and what percentage of the national total for this age bracket these figures represent. [143]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 19 May 1997]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Kevin McNamara, dated 2 June 1997:

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply as the Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to your recent questions (143 and 144) on unemployment in the Kingston upon Hull North parliamentary constituency and Hull travel-to-work area (TTWA).

ONS produce two measures of unemployment. The first, derived from the quarterly Labour Force Survey (LFS), is defined on a consistent and internationally recognised basis set out by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and counts as unemployed people who are: a) without a paid job; b) available to start work within the next two weeks and c) have either looked for work in the last four weeks or are waiting to start a job already obtained.
ONS also publishes the monthly claimant count, which is based on the administrative system and includes all people claiming unemployment-related benefits (i.e. Jobseekers Allowance, Income Support or National Insurance credits) at Employment Service offices on the day of the monthly count, who on that day had signed on as unemployed and available to do any suitable work. Essentially, all people who attend an Employment Service office to sign are counted, irrespective of whether they are actually receiving benefit.
The information you have requested is only available from the claimant count and is given in the attached table. Figures are not available for the 18 to 25 age band, and those for 18 to 24 are shown instead.
Unadjusted claimant unemployment aged 18-24 years as a percentage of the total unemployed in April 1997

	Males		Females
	Number	percentage of total unemployed	Number	percentage of total unemployed
Parliamentary Constituency
Kingston upon Hull
North	1,088	0.36	424	0.35
TTWA
Hull	3,224	1.08	1,258	1.03

2 Jun 1997 : Column: 95

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list by each year of age the number of 18 to 25 year-olds currently unemployed in Kingston upon Hull, North; and if he will break down each year's figures into totals for males and females; [146]

(2) how many (a) males and (b) females have been unemployed in (a) Hull and (b) Kingston upon Hull, North for more than (i) six months, (ii) 12 months, (iii) 18 months and (iv) 24 months. [147]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 19 May 1997]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Kevin McNamara, dated 2 June 1997:

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply as the Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to your recent questions (146 and 147) on unemployment in the Kingston upon Hull North parliamentary constituency and Hull travel-to-work area (TTWA).

ONS produce two measures of unemployment. The first, derived from the quarterly Labour Force Survey (LFS), is defined on a consistent and internationally recognised basis set out by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and counts as unemployed people who are; a) without a paid job; b) available to start work within the next two weeks and c) have either looked for work in the last four weeks or are waiting to start a job already obtained.
ONS also publishes the monthly claimant count, which is based on the administrative system and includes all people claiming unemployment-related benefits (i.e. Jobseekers Allowance, Income Support or National Insurance credits) at Employment Service offices on the day of the monthly count, who on that day had signed on as unemployed and available to do any suitable work. Essentially, all people who attend an Employment Service office to sign are counted, irrespective of whether they are actually receiving benefit.
The information you have requested for Hull and Kingston upon Hull North is only available for the claimant count, accessible from the Nomis database at the House of Commons Library.

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