asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether jobcentres have any record of the names and addresses of the long-term unemployed in their locality.

Since the introduction of voluntary registration in October 1982 jobcentres no longer retain a complete record of the unemployed people seeking work in their locality. Such a comprehensive register has not proved necessary to the prompt filling of the great majority of vacancies notified to the employment service.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when the research being carried out into the 18 to 25 years age group long-term unemployed and the information being collected will be published.

The programme of research into long-term unemployment among 18 to 24-year-olds will not be completed until spring 1986. It is expected that the results of the research will be published soon after the work is completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how often and in what circumstances it is necessary for an unemployed person to visit an unemployment benefit office.

Most unemployed people attend their local unemployment benefit office to make their first benefit claim in their spell of unemployment. Thereafter they attend once each fortnight to sign a declaration that they are, amongst other things, unemployed and available for work. Some unemployed people sign weekly because they have asked to be paid weekly. Claimants aged 50 or more who have been unemployed for a year attend to sign on once a quarter.However, people living six miles or more from their nearest unemployment benefit office can sign their weekly or fortnightly declaration at home and send it in by post but they are also interviewed in person periodically. Those living 10 miles or more away from their nearest unemployment benefit office can additionally make their first claim by post.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of registered unemployed currently register for unemployment benefit by post.

During the year ended June 1985 an average of 5·6 per cent. of unemployed people made their regular weekly or fortnightly declaration of unemployment by post. Additionally some people living 10 miles or more from their nearest unemployment benefit office made their initial claims by post. No statistics are kept of how many people so claimed.