Brighton & Hove and the Labour Government

Recent news about how the city benefits from government policies.

UNEMPLOYMENT

Local figures, measured by those claiming Job Seeker’s Allowance. April figures are the latest available.

	Brighton Pavilion	Brighton Kemptown	Hove & Portslade	City total
May 1997	4816	3733	3814	12363
April 2007	1848	1746	1465	5184

Unemployment in Brighton Pavilion is down by 65.7% since January 1997.

Since the Labour government’s New Deals were introduced they have helped nearly 2000 people into work in Brighton Pavilion, including over 1500 under 25s.

Nationally there are over 2M more jobs now than in May 1997.

The UK employment rate is at its highest ever – just under 29m or 74.6% of the workforce - the highest among the G7 countries.

HEALTH

The new £36m children’s unit on the Royal Sussex County Hospital site to replace the Royal Alex Children’s Hospital is set to open in June. The 9 storey building will have 100 inpatient beds, 3 operating theatres, diagnostic and treatment facilities including X ray, an intensive care unit, a cancer care day centre, parents’ accommodation, indoor and outdoor play areas.

For the year ended March 2007 96.5% of Accident and Emergency patients at the Royal Sussex County Hospital were admitted, discharged or transferred within 4 hours of arrival.

ENVIRONMENT

West Street and Hove Lawns beaches have received the Encams Blue Flag status in recognition of cleanliness and water quality. (May 2007)

A report by the Carbon Trust published at the beginning of June shows businesses in Brighton and Hove contribute 33% of the city’s CO2 emissions compared to a national average of 40%.

CRIME

A survey by the Endsleigh insurance company shows Brighton and Hove with the 6th lowest burglary rate in the country. In the last year burglaries have fallen by 29% % and by over 50% in the last 5 years. Across Sussex there has been a 55% drop in burglaries since 1997. Sussex Police attribute the decline to Operation Reduction which targets drug-dealing and aims at getting class A drug users into treatment.

THE ECONOMY AND REGENERATION

Eurostat – the official statistical office of the EU - ranks Sussex as 86th most prosperous of the 214 EU Regions. In 1997 Sussex ranked 126th.