Orders of the Day — Unemployment

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 24 July 1978.

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Photo of Mr Barney Hayhoe Mr Barney Hayhoe , Hounslow Brentford and Isleworth 12:00, 24 July 1978

If the hon. Gentleman thinks that I made that implication, I can understand his indignation. If he reads Hansard tomorrow, he will see that I did not do so. I said that some young people are opting out. Surely the evidence is undeniable.

Many hon. Members will remember the powerful speech made by my right hon. Friend the Member for Sidcup (Mr. Heath) in a debate that took place in January. What my right hon. Friend said on the problem was warmly welcomed in all parts of the House. Part of the purpose of his speech was to draw attention to the grave social problems that flow from high levels of unemployment, especially the disillusion coming to some of the disadvantaged young within our society who feel that society is rejecting them because it is not able to provide them with the job opportunities that they desire.

In October 1974 the Government were saying that unemployment was beginning to fall. However, as I have shown, since that time there has been a consistent and steady rise until the past few months. What is the Government's excuse now that they are challenged? They say "It is nothing to do with us. It is to do with the hiking up of oil prices in 1973. It is to do with the world trade recession. In these circumstances unemployment is increasing throughout the world. We are not to blame."

If we accept that argument—I accept that there is some justification for it—it is very out of tune with what was being said on the hustings in 1974. The hon. Member for Selly Oak does not shake his head on that one. The hon. Gentleman knows only too well the accuracy of that criticism. I accept that there is some justification for claiming that world conditions have led to increased unemployment, but the criticism that I make of the Government is based on our position within the OECD. The year of the oil price hike was 1973–74. During, that year and the following year our unemployment levels were slightly below the average levels of OECD countries. However, in 1975 they began steeply to rise and to overtake the levels of other countries. By 1976 they were well above those in other countries, and for unemployment based on the OECD comparable statistics the United Kingdom is nearly the worst country in 1977–78.