§ MR. ALDEN (Middlesex, Tottenham)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether, in view of the fact that the Unemployed Workmen Act, by Section 2 (3), peremptorily required all county councils and county borough councils, wherever no distress committee was established, to appoint special committees to obtain information as to the conditions of employment, and to promote or establish labour exchanges, he will state in what counties and county boroughs such special committees have been established; whether the Local Government Board has ever called the attention of county and county borough councils to their obligations under this subsection; and whether he will present a Return giving a summary of the statistical and other information obtained by the special committees thus constituted, and by any labour exchanges which they have promoted.
§ MR. JOHN BURNSShortly after the passing of the Act the Local Government Board called the attention of these councils to the requirements of subsection (3) of Section 2, and they subsequently communicated with them with special reference to labour exchanges and employment registers. Returns have not been received as to these cases. I regret, therefore, that I am not in a position to give my hon. friend the particulars for which he asks.
§ MR. JOHN BURNSIf I can bring any pressure to bear on the county councils to hurry it on I will do so.