HC Deb 18 February 1935 vol 298 cc40-4W
Mr, R. T. EVANS

asked the Minister of Agriculture the number of farm labourers employed in each of the counties of Wales in January of each year from 1921 to 1935; and the number of tenants occupying on the same dates smallholdings established by county councils?

Mr. ELLIOT

Returns of the number of workers on agricultural holdings are

A.—The number of Workers* employed on agricultural holdings above one acre in extent as returned in June in the undermentioned years in each county of Wales was:—
Counties:—Workers.* 1921. 1923. 1924. 1925. 1926. 1927. 1928. 1929. 1930. 1931. 1932. 1933. 1934.
Anglesey: No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.
Regular … 2,895 2,652 2,727 2,782 2,803 2,882 3,029 2,904 2,888 2,911 2,752 2,500 2,329
Casual … 1,032 866 899 863 795 770 819 761 569 548 514 494 436
Total … 3,927 3,518 3,626 3,645 3,598 3,652 3,848 3,665 3,457 3,459 3,266 2,994 2,765
Brecon:
Regular … 3,007 2,621 2,858 2,767 2,968 3,060 3,146 3,105 2,891 3,071 3,036 2,811 2,604
Casual … 639 498 577 563 554 500 439 462 341 360 327 346 289
Total … 3,646 3,119 3,435 3,330 3,522 3,560 3,585 3,567 3,232 3,431 3,363 3,160 2,893
Cardigan:
Regular … 4,884 4,363 4,772 4,152 4,242 4,807 5,062 5,084 5,966 5,075 5,466 4,560 4,194
Casual … 1,234 930 998 862 919 897 752 727 839 651 623 613 575
Total … 6,118 5,293 5,770 5,014 5,161 5,704 6,814 5,811 6,850 5,726 6,089 5,173 4,769
Carmarthen:
Regular … 6,328 5,637 6,078 5,694 6,232 6,704 7,449 7,496 7,511 7,550 7,353 5,892 6,191
Casual … 1,601 1,223 1,373 1,307 1,359 1,355 1,093 1,069 985 968 1,054 997 944
Total … 7,929 6,860 7,451 7,001 7,591 8,059 8,542 8,565 8,496 8,518 8,407 6,889 7,135
Carnarvon:
Regular … 3,785 3,240 3,498 3,203 3,229 3,285 3,354 3,364 3,357 3,428 3,215 3,185 3,017
Casual … 1,078 848 935 899 735 731 720 736 608 552 505 505 483
Total … 4,863 4,088 4,433 4,102 3,964 4,016 4,074 4,100 3,965 3,980 3,720 3,690 3,500
Denbigh:
Regular … 5,322 4,809 5,087 5,082 5,186 5,404 5,539 5,606 5,341 5,315 5,280 5,073 4,667
Casual … 1,905 1,132 1,478 1,409 1,268 1,278 1,201 1,106 894 947 881 840 756
Total … 7,227 5,941 6,565 6,491 6,454 6,682 6,740 6,712 6,235 6,262 6,161 5,913 5,423
Flint:
Regular … 3,051 2,664 2,727 2,836 2,875 2,906 2,966 3,021 2,907 2,945 2,865 2,704 2,592
Casual … 765 556 661 653 580 494 468 441 431 411 412 432 367
Total … 3,816 3,220 3,388 3,489 3,455 3,400 3,434 3,462 3,338 3,356 3,277 3,136 2,959
Glamorgan:
Regular … 4,773 3,957 4,498 4,396 4,768 4,719 4,735 4,855 4,753 4,967 4,704 4,703 4,235
Casual … 1,601 1,011 1,132 1,137 1,072 877 932 843 945 898 1,037 833 754
Total … 6,374 4,968 5,630 5,533 5,840 5,596 5,667 5,698 5,698 5,865 5,741 5,536 4,989

collected only on 4th June in each year. Statement "A" hereunder gives the information for each county in Wales on that date, with the exception of 1922, when no return of workers was included in the annual schedule. Returns relating to smallholdings provided by county councils are normally collected on 31st December in each year, and as regards the second part of the question, Statement "B" hereunder gives all the information available in respect of the Welsh counties.

Counties:—Workers.* 1921. 1923. 1924 1925. 1926. 1927. 1928. 1929. 1930. 1931. 1932. 1933. 1934.
No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.
Merioneth:
Regular … 2,284 2,017 2,207 2,173 2,254 2,371 2,404 2,445 2,391 2,421 2,293 2,286 2,150
Casual … 654 556 570 605 546 518 500 473 426 391 385 331 294
Total … 2,938 2,573 2,777 2,778 2,800 2,889 2,904 2,918 2,817 2,812 2,678 2,617 2,444
Monmouth:
Regular … 4,402 3,987 4,061 3,937 4,104 3,956 4,152 4,128 3,853 4,042 3,912 3,735 3,530
Casual … 1,302 1,160 1,154 1,256 1,036 907 862 892 747 660 698 661 654
Total … 5,704 5,147 5,215 5,193 5,140 4,863 5,014 5,020 4,600 4,702 4,610 4,396 4,184
Montgomery:
Regular … 4,705 4,479 4,463 4,556 4,583 4,475 4,473 4,734 4,534 4,730 4,614 4,584 3,998
Casual … 1,084 938 1,053 1,052 932 860 798 793 663 600 587 547 576
Total … 5,789 5,417 5,516 5,608 5,515 5,335 5,271 5,527 5,197 5,330 5,201 5,131 4,574
Pembroke:
Regular … 5,832 5,579 5,666 5,384 5,841 5,808 5,818 6,167 6,003 6,070 5,710 5,617 4,958
Casual … 1,395 1,086 1,207 1,147 1,061 986 941 960 946 776 802 845 984
Total … 7,227 6,665 6,873 6,531 6,902 6,794 6,759 7,127 6,949 6,846 6,512 6,462 5,942
Radnor:
Regular … 2,202 2,029 1,988 2,041 2,071 2,022 2,026 2,070 2,032 2,008 1,928 1,808 1,743
Casual … 379 420 423 426 351 273 283 279 234 192 167 185 206
Total … 2,581 2,449 2,411 2,467 2,422 2,295 2,309 2,349 2,266 2,200 2,095 1,993 1,949
* Excluding the occupier, his wife and domestic servants.

B.—Numbers of tenants occupying Smallholdings provided by County Councils under the Small Holdings Acts, 1908–1926, in each County in Wales on the dates shown.
— 31st Dec, 1924. 31st March, 1926.* 31st Dec. 1927. 31st Dec, 1928. 31st Dec, 1929. 31st Dec, 1930. 31st Dec, 1931. 31st Dec, 1932. 31st Dec, 1933. 31st Dec, 1934.
Anglesey … … 251 242 242 246 246 259 274 270 278 268
Brecon … … 57 58 58 58 58 57 55 56 60 60
Caernarvon … … 93 105 92 92 92 92 92 90 89 88
Cardigan … … 61 58 58 57 57 52 53 53 52 50
Carmarthen … … 194 185 185 179 179 180 180 181 182 196
Denbigh … … 280 268 268 268 268 270 273 284 295 283
Flint … … 155 150 155 155 155 157 161 174 174 184
Glamorgan … … 203 235 215 212 214 218 218 218 232 229
Merioneth … … 130 130 130 130 129 133 133 133 133 134
Monmouth … … 180 197 181 186 185 192 192 195 195 194
Montgomery … … 244 284 261 259 264 264 282 282 289 286
Pembroke … … 166 178 178 177 189 195 195 186 186 186
Radnor … … 93 95 95 95 95 89 89 89 89 89
2,107 2,185* 2,118 2,114 2,131 2,158 2,197 2,211 2,254 2,247
* (i) Numbers of Smallholdings on 31st March, 1926.
(ii) Figures for 31st December 1926
are not available.