§ 1. Mr. ROBINSONasked the Minister of Labour the number of persons at present in receipt of unemployment insurance benefit or transitional payments who have been continuously unemployed for at least six months, and of those how many have been continuously unemployed for at least 12 months?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of LABOUR (Mr. R. S. Hudson)At 22nd May, 1933, there were 800,014 applicants for benefit or transitional payments on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Great Britain who had been on the registers for six months or more, and, of these, 482,951 had been on the registers for 12 months or more.
§ Mr. ROBINSONCan my hon. Friend give the House any information as to the numbers of unemployed who have been out of work for more than 12 months in previous years?
§ Mr. HUDSONYes, Sir. The earliest date for which strictly comparable figures are available for those unemployed for 12 months or more is January, 1932, when 914 the total was 337,000. There were earlier investigations by sample, which gave results of 45,000 in September, 1929, and 120,000 in February, 1931; and the figure in September, 1931, was probably not less than 300,000.
§ Mr. ROBINSONCan my hon. Friend say how that increase in numbers has arisen?
§ Mr. HUDSONI think that, when there is a large number of people unemployed, as there is at present, it follows that there must be an increasing number who have been unemployed for 12 months, and no doubt the present figures are largely the result of the slump started while hon. Members opposite were in office.
§ Mr. LANSBURYIt has continued after two years of this Government.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSWhat does the hon. Gentleman mean by saying that the figure "probably was" a certain figure at a certain period? Has he anything to substantiate that?
§ Mr. HUDSONThe actual figures were counted, starting from January, 1932. Sample analyses were made for various purposes previously, and the figures I have given are the results of those sample analyses.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSThe hon. Gentleman gives a figure for 1931, and says that the figure probably was, at a later date, some other figure. On what does he base that "probably"? Is it a mere piece of guesswork on his part?
§ Mr. HUDSONIt is the best estimate that can be made as the result of the sample figures.
§ Mr. LAWSONAs the ministerial delegate at the time to the International Conference, I used these figures for February, 1931. On what ground does the hon. Gentleman say, when the figure which I officially gave, as representing the Ministry of Labour, was 120,000, that there were probably 300,000?
§ Mr. HUDSONI said that the figure based on a sample inquiry was 45,000 in September, 1929, and another inquiry was made in February, 1931, which gave a figure of 120,000. The figure is 120,000 for February, 1931. The best estimate 915 that we can make is that the figure had risen, by September of that year, to 300,000.
§ Mr. LAWSONOn what ground does the hon. Gentleman make a statement like that?
§ Mr. SPEAKERMr. Rhys Davies.