asked the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of the present unemployment total is (a) under 18 years of age, (b) under 21 years of age and (c) under 25 years of age; and what was the position at the same time of year in 1974.

Detailed age analyses of the numbers registered as unemployed are made only in respect of January and July. The following table shows the numbers unemployed in Great Britain at January 1977 in the age ranges below 25 years for which data arc compiled and expresses them as percentages of the total number unemployed.

		Number	Percentage of total unemployed
Under 18 years	…	122,366	8·8
18–19 years	…	129,962	9·3
20–24 years	…	254,916	18·3

Corresponding figures for January 1974 were not collected, because of the energy crisis.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish figures to show in which age groups unemployment has risen proportionately the fastest over the period 1973 to 1977.

The following table gives an age breakdown of the numbers registered as unemployed in Great Britain at January 1977, the latest date for which this half-yearly analysis is available, and at January 1973, with percentage changes between these dates.

Age range	January1973	January 1977	Percentage increase January 1973-January 1977
Under 18	47,052	122,366	160·1
18–19	67,689	129,962	92·0
20–24	126,728	254,916	101·2
25–29	80,292	178,106	121·8
30–34	60,815	121,074	99·1
35–39	54,479	97,961	79·8
40–44	55,118	87,318	58·4
45–19	57,813	83,815	45·0
50–54	58,655	88,727	51·3
55–59	65,600	85,996	31·1
60 and over	121,717	139,977	15·0

The figures for January 1973 include 15,600 adult students for whom a separate age analysis is not available. Adult students are not included in the figures for January 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment by what percentage unemployment has increased since February 1974; and if he can give separate percentages in respect of Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.

Based on seasonally adjusted figures, which exclude school leavers, the increases between February 1974 and June 1977 were 134·2 per cent. for the United Kingdom, 97·8 per cent. for Scotland, and 140·4 per cent. for the rest of the United Kingdom.