asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the present rate of unemployment in Northern Ireland.

In January 1976 the total number of unemployed registered for work was 57,988 or 11·1 per cent. of total employees. This represents an increase of 9,540 over December 1975.The January figure is greatly inflated by the large number of adult students who registered as unemployed. The seasonally adjusted total of unemployed, which excludes school leavers and adult students, was 46,500 or 8·9 per cent. in January compared with 45,100 or 8·7 per cent. in December 1975, an increase of 1,400.