asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many of the 1975 school leavers in Hull are still unemployed; and what percentage this represents of 1975 school leavers in the Hull travel-to-work area who did not proceed to further education.

I regret the precise information is not available since statistics of unemployed school leavers do not define the dates when they left school. On 8th January 1976 the number of unemployed school leavers in the Hull travel-to-work area was 344—209 boys and 135 girls. This is equivalent to 6·8 per cent. of an estimated 5,031 young people—2,457 boys and 2,574 girls—who left school for employment at the end of the 1975 summer term.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many young persons are at present employed by community industry in Hull; what proposals he has to increase the number of young persons employed in community industry in Hull; and what were the maximum and minimum numbers of persons employed each year since the service was established in Hull, giving total number and by sex.

There are at present 87 young people—71 male, 16 female—employed in the community industry unit in North Humberside which has a capacity of 100 places. There are no plans for further expansion of the unit, though the need for additional places is being kept under review. The unit was established in Hull in June 1973, with a capacity of 50 places. These places were not fully occupied until September 1974 when the unit employed 40 male and 10 female young employees. In December 1974 capacity was increased to 60 places, whose occupancy in 1975 ranged from 55 young employees—43 male, 12 female—in January to 61 young employees—52 male, nine female—in August. The unit was expanded to its present size in Ocober 1975.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many 1975 school leavers in the Hull travel-to-work area entered into apprenticeships or other employment leading to an industrial, commercial or professional qualification and in what trades, businesses or professions they entered; what were the comparable figures for the past 10 years what proportion these figures represented of all school-leavers over the same period; and how these percentages compare with the national average both as a total and by sex.

I regret that most of the information requested is not available and that the remainder could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish a breakdown by industrial ciassification, sex and age in five-year bands of the current number of unemployed in the Hull travel-to-work area, indicating how many have been unemployed for periods of one month, two months, three months, four months, five months, six months, nine months, one year, 18 months, and over two years, respectively.

Following is the information at January 1976:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many new jobs have been created in the Hull travel-to-work area in the past six months; how many for men and how many for women; how many redundancies were referred to his Department in the same period for men and women; and what was the comparative figure for the whole of 1975.

New jobs are created as a result of Government measures and other factors. However, it is not possible to calculate the exact effect, in terms of jobs, of any Government measures, with the exception of the job creation programme, which has been in operation since October 1975. I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that 47 jobs have been created in the Hull travel-to-work area by projects so far approved under the job creation programme. Applications involving a further 60 jobs are receiving

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the present ratio of unemployed persons to unfilled vacancies in the Hull travel-to-work area; in what employment categories the vacancies were notified; and how many persons registered as unemployed were suitable for these vacancies.

At December 1975 there were 12,403 unemployed persons, excluding adult students, registered at employment offices in the Hull travel-to-

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the present levels of male and female unemployment both as an absolute figure and a percentage in the present development areas; and what is their comparison with (a) the national average unemployment and (b) unemployment in the Hull travel-to-work area.

Following is the information at January 1976:work area. The number of unfilled vacancies was 415. The vacancy figure relates only to vacancies notified to employment offices and is not a measure of total vacancies. The figures do not include information for careers offices.The following table gives an analysis of these figures by occupational group. All registrants are considered for vacancies for which they are suitable and at any given time some of the unemployed will be under submission to vacancies notified.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many places are available in the Government training centre at Hull; how many at present are unfilled and in what category; and what plans he has to expand facilities at the centre.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that on 2nd February 1976 there were 240 training places at Hull Skillcentre—formerly Government training centre. 54 places were unfilled in the following trades:

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the industrial dispute affecting the British Waterways Board BACAT operation in Hull.

I understand that the BACAT service was withdrawn at the end of last year because of labour difficulties at the Humber ports. Under a voluntary system of industrial relations it is primarily for the parties most directly concerned to seek to resolve their differences. The services of the independent Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Services are available to assist the parties when required. It is unfortunate that no agreement was reached.