Preston Mr. Stan Thorne asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many notified vacancies existed in the Preston travel-to-work area at the latest known date. Mr. Jim Lester At 2 April the numbers of notified vacancies remaining unfilled at employment offices and careers offices in the Preston travel-to-work area were 933 and 66, respectively, Vacancies notified to employment offices are estimated to be about one-third of all vacancies in the country as a whole. Because of possible duplication the figures for employment offices and careers offices should not be added together. Mr. Stan Thorne asked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of the working population in the Preston travel-to-work area was registered as unemployed at the latest possible date. Mr. Jim Lester At 10 April the provisional unemployment rate in the Preston travel-to-work area was 6·8 per cent. The rate is based on the estimated number of employees—employed and unemployed—which differs from the working population in that it excludes self-employed people and members of Her Majesty's Forces.