Written question asked by Llew Smith (Labour), in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 2 December 1996. It was answered by Gwilym Jones (Conservative) on Monday, 2 December 1996 on behalf of the Welsh Office.

Welsh Office

Question: What assessment he has made of the relationship between the levels of unemployment and ill health of men aged 15 to 44 years in Wales. - Inc ref to Welsh health survey 1995 (in Library).

Answer: Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the relationship between the levels of unemployment and ill health of men aged 15 to 44 years in Wales. [6063] Mr. Gwilym Jones: While it is not possible to conclude from the 1995 Welsh health survey data whether there is a causal relationship between unemployment and ill-health, analyses indicated that for unemployed men aged 18 to 45 the mental health summary scores were generally lower--that is, worse--than those of employed men of the same age. However, there was little difference between the physical health scores for unemployed men aged 18 to 45 when compared with those of employed men of the same age. Both scores tended to be lower for men who had been unemployed for more than 12 months. The results show that unemployed men aged 18 to 45 were more likely to be classified as being at risk of developing clinical depression than employed men of the same age and were generally more likely to have had treatment for back pain and respiratory disease. The main results from the survey, and the definition of the summary scores, are published in Welsh health survey 1995, a copy of which is in the Library.

Secondary information