§ MR. REMNANT (Finsbury, Holborn)To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the percentage of unemployment in the United Kingdom in April among trade unionists other than coal miners.
(Answered by Mr. Churchill.) The percentage of members of trade unions, other than those engaged in coal-mining, who were returned by them to the Board of Trade as unemployed at the end of April was 9.2. This figure was considerably increased by the disputes in the engineering and shipbuilding trades, which have, rendered idle a large and increasing number of workpeople engaged in kindred trades. Such workpeople not being directly concerned in the disputes are included in the Returns as unemployed.
§ MR. REMNANTTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will state, with regard to the table at the foot of the employment chart on the first page of the May issue of the Labour Gazette, what was the number returned as out of work in each of the trades there mentioned; and whether he will undertake to publish these figures in each issue of the Labour Gazette.
(Answered by Mr. Churchill.) Such figures with regard to unemployment as, in the opinion of my advisers, can usefully and safely be published without serious danger of misleading the public, are regularly included in the Labour Gazette, and the Board of Trade are at all times ready to receive and consider any representations made to them with a view of increasing the utility of the Returns. The subject is too technical 715 and intricate to be dealt with by Question and Answer; but, if the hon. Member will put himself into communication with the Board of Trade, the officials in charge will be happy to explain to him the difficulties of adopting his present suggestion.