To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the change in the number of unemployed males and females over the age of 50 years in the Seaham and Peterlee areas over the last five years.

The information in the table is also available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were employed in the Lancashire, West parliamentary constituency in March 1986, March 1987, March 1988, March 1989 and March 1990; and if he will make a statement.

Information about employment in parliamentary constituencies is available only from the census of employment. The most recent figures are for September 1987. There were then 31,000 employees in employment in the Lancashire, West constituency. This compares with a figure of 30,400 in September 1984 when the previous census of employment was taken. These figures exclude the self-employed and members of Her Majesty's forces.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were unemployed in the parliamentary constituency of Lancashire, West in March 1986, March 1987, March 1988, March 1989 and March 1990; and if he will make a statement.

The information is available from the Library. March 1990 figures are not available until April. Between March 1986 and February 1990 the number of unemployed claimants fell by 2,932, or 40·6 per cent., in Lancashire, West parliamentary constituency. The table gives the remaining information requested. The figures are affected by seasonal influences as well as by changes to the count over the period.