The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 18 July 2006:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about unemployment in all the new towns in the United Kingdom. (85392)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment for local areas from the Annual Population Survey following International Labour Organisation definitions. However, data are not available for towns. Table 1, attached, shows the unemployment rates, for males and females aged 16 and over, resident in the local authorities in Great Britain which contain recognised New Towns for the 12 months ending December 2005.
These estimates, as with any from sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
ONS also compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA). Table 2, attached, shows the proportions of males (aged 16 to 64) and females (aged 16 to 59) of working age, resident in local authorities in the United Kingdom which contain recognised New Towns, claiming JSA in June 2006.
Percentage Unemployment rate New town Local authority Male Female England Aycliffe Sedgefield 5.7 5.2 Basildon Basildon 4.9 4.0 Bracknell Bracknell Forest 5.6 3.5 Central Lancashire Preston 9.3 6.0 Chorley 4.2 3.7 South Ribble 2.0 2.3 Corby Corby 5.8 3.2 Crawley Crawley 6.6 5.9 Harlow Harlow 9.5 3.7 Hemel Hempstead Dacorum 1.9 3.8 Milton Keynes Milton Keynes 3.2 7.0 Northampton Northampton 5.1 4.2 Peterborough Peterborough 5.2 4.1 Peterlee Easington 5.8 4.5 Redditch Redditch 4.7 2.8 Runcorn Halton 4.9 5.5 Skelmersdale West Lancashire 5.1 3.0 Stevenage Stevenage 5.9 1— Telford Telford and Wrekin 5.6 2.4 Warrington Warrington 3.7 2.7 Washington Sunderland 7.3 5.4 Welwyn and Hatfield Welwyn and Hatfield 6.0 2.6 Wales Cwmbran Torfaen 7.1 5.1 Newtown Powys 2.8 2.8 Scotland Cumbernauld North Lanarkshire 8.3 5.3 East Kilbride South Lanarkshire 5.5 4.5 Glenrothes Fife 5.7 4.1 Irvine North Ayrshire 8.3 4.8 Livingston West Lothian 6.0 3.0 1 Sample size disclosive. Note: Estimates are subject to sampling variability. Source: Annual Population Survey
Percentage Proportion of resident working age1 population New town Local authority Male Female England Aycliffe Sedgefield 3.6 1.4 Basildon Basildon 3.1 1.4 Bracknell Bracknell Forest 1.9 0.7 Central Lancashire Preston 4.2 1.3 Chorley 2.1 0.9 South Ribble 2.0 0.8 Corby Corby 4.5 1.7 Crawley Crawley 2.4 1.0 Harlow Harlow 4.0 1.8 Hemel Hempstead Dacorum 2.7 1.2 Milton Keynes Milton Keynes 3.2 1.2 Northampton Northampton 3.7 1.5 Peterborough Peterborough 4.6 1.8 Peterlee Easington 3.7 1.3 Redditch Redditch 3.5 1.5 Runcorn Halton 5.2 1.7 Skelmersdale West Lancashire 4.1 1.4 Stevenage Stevenage 3.3 1.2 Telford Telford and Wrekin 3.6 1.3 Warrington Warrington 2.9 1.0 Washington Sunderland 5.2 1.6 Welwyn and Hatfield Welwyn and Hatfield 2.6 1.1 Wales Cwmbran Torfaen 3.8 1.3 Newtown Powys 2.3 1.1 Scotland Cumbernauld North Lanarkshire 4.7 1.7 East Kilbride South Lanarkshire 3.6 1.3 Glenrothes Fife 5.2 1.9 Irvine North Ayrshire 6.7 2.5 Livingston West Lothian 3.5 1.3 Northern Ireland Antrim and Ballymena Antrim 2.4 1.0 Ballymena 2.8 1.2 Craigavon Craigavon 2.8 1.1 Derry Derry 7.7 2.3 1 Males aged 16 to 64 and females aged 16 to 59. Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative systems.