§ Mr. NEWMANasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can give the average weekly wage earned by those employed in agriculture in England, Scotland, and Ireland, respectively, together with the percentage of those engaged in agriculture in Great Britain as compared with Ireland?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe Board of Trade census of wages in agriculture showed that in 1907 the average earnings of agricultural labourers in Ireland were 11s. 3d. weekly (ranging from an average of 10s. in Connaught to one of 12s. 1d. in Ulster), comparing with 18s. 4d. in England, 18s. in Wales and Monmouthshire, and 19s. 7d. in Scotland; the estimated value of payments in kind being included in every case. The proportion of the occupied population of Ireland which at the Census of 1901 was engaged in agriculture was 18 44.1 per cent., comparing with 8.4 per cent. in England and Wales, 10.3 per cent. in Scotland, and 12.4 per cent. in the United Kingdom as a whole.
§ Mr. WILLIAM O'BRIENDo these figures show the comparative number of weeks Irish and English labourers are employed?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThey have been taken as nearly as possible for a percentage of years.
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTCan the right hon. Gentleman state what are the separate standards of earnings for agricultural labourers in different parts of England as well as in Ireland?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEAll this information is to be found in the admirable report compiled by Mr. Wilson Cox.