§ Captain MORRISONasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will furnish the numbers of the members of trades unions who in 1909 ceased to be members of their unions owing to their inability to pay their subscriptions?
Mr. BUXTONI regret that I have no information which would enable me to furnish the particulars asked for.
§ Captain MORRISONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will give the figures for the years 1908 and 1909, respectively, of the sums paid out to unemployed members by each of the trades unions which give these benefits?
Mr. BUXTONThe amount expended by 100 principal trades unions on unemployed benefit in 1908, which was a year of bad employment, was £1,001,000. The corresponding figure for 1909 is not yet available. No complete annual returns of the expenditure of all trades unions on unemployed benefit are obtained, but the expenditure of the 100 principal unions is known to represent the great bulk of the total.
§ Captain MORRISONWill the right hon. Gentleman give us the figures for 1909 when he can ascertain them?