asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will state the number of unemployed in Bedford Town and Kempston and state separately in relation thereto the number of unemployed among the over forties from the Luton list.

At 7th December, 1970, 1,127 persons were registered as unemployed in the area covered by the Bedford Employment Exchange.I assume that the second part of the Question relates to persons over 40 years of age who are registered as unemployed in the Bedford Employment Exchange area but who are also on the professional and executive register held at Luton. There are 16 persons (13 men and three women) in this category.