§ 57. Mr. ROYDSasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will furnish any official sources of information showing that unemployment in the building trade had considerably diminshed since the passing of the Finance (1909–10) Act, 1910?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThe official statistics of unemployment are published monthly in the Board of Trade "Labour Gazette," and annually in the Abstract of Labour Statistics. From these sources it appears that the percentage unemployed among carpenters and plumbers, who are members of trade unions, was 11.5 in 1908, 11.7 in 1909, 8.6 in 1910, 5.0 in 1911, and 4.2 in 1912.
§ Mr. ROYDSIs it not a fact that the figures which the right hon. Gentleman has quoted refer only to 72,000 men in the building trade, whereas 1,250,000 are employed in the building trade, and not more than 5 per cent, of those so employed belong to trade unions?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThese figures have always been accepted as the test figures of unemployment in every trade. May I point out that whenever they tell against Free Trade they are always quoted.
§ Mr. SPEAKERMay I point out that there are over 100 questions on the Paper.