§ 56. Mr. DUNCAN MILLARasked the Minister of Health what arrangements, if any, were made for providing work for unemployed persons of suitable capacity in connection with the taking of the Census; and whether any instructions on the subject were issued to managers of local Employment Exchanges?
§ The MINISTER of HEALTH (Mr. Arthur Greenwood)As I am anxious to give a full and somewhat long reply to this question I will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. MILLARWill the right hon. Gentleman also publish the instructions which were issued to Employment Exchanges?
§ Mr. GREENWOODIf the hon. and learned Member is not satisfied with the answer which I have sent to him, and which is to be published in the OFFICIAL REPORT, I shall be glad to answer any further questions.
§ Mr. BROOKEWill my right hon. Friend include in his return the number of unemployed people who were found employment?
§ Mr. GREENWOODI can tell my hon. Friend that a much larger proportion were found employment in urban areas than during any previous census—38 per cent.
§ Following is the answer:
§ As stated in the reply to a Parliamentary question on this subject on the 5th February last, all practicable steps were taken to see that full consideration 1787 was given to unemployed persons. The local Census officers charged with the initial selection of enumerators were instructed to give special consideration to unemployed persons who satisfied the necessary requirements; and subsequent detailed instructions were issued that in the case of all districts of an urban character within reach of an Employment Exchange the Census officer should obtain from the Exchange Manager particulars of unemployed candidates, if this had not already been done, and accept any such candidates as could be included without displacing enumerators of distinctly better quality. I understand that the Ministry of Labour, in consultation with the Registrar-General, issued instruction to local Exchange Managers to co-operate with Census officers in this procedure. In fact 12,250 unemployed persons were appointed out of a total of 40,000 enumerators. In urban areas, in which alone it was anticipated that any substantial use could be made of the services of the unemployed, the percentage was 38.
§ I should add that the views expressed in the previous Parliamentary reply as to the necessity for caution have been fully justified by experience. The departure in the interests of the unemployed from the normal system of recruitment adopted on previous occasions has been marked by a very substantial number of withdrawals during the few weeks preceding the Census, and even of defaults during the actual course of the operations, notwithstanding the strictest assurances given by the individuals in question that they would serve without fail; and these withdrawals and defaults have involved the substitution on short notice of other persons with correspondingly little preparation. I am satisfied that the interests of the unemployed have been consulted up to the limits of the safety of the Census arrangements—if, indeed, those limits have not in some respects been exceeded.