§ 59. Mr. LEACHasked the President of the Board of Trade the total number of persons insured under Part II. of the National Insurance Act, the total number of persons who have received unemployment benefit, and the amount of money paid for the said benefit?
Mr. ROBERTSONThe total number of workpeople to whom unemployment books were issued up to the 15th March was 2,359,320. The total number of claims to benefit made direct to the Labour Exchanges and allowed by the insurance officers up to the 12th March was 163,717, and the total amount of the payments made in respect of these direct claims was approximately £105,000. The amount repayable up to that date to associations having arrangements with the Board of 1652 Trade under Section 105 of the Act, is not yet precisely known, but the number of claims of members of associations allowed up to the 12th March was 52,591, so that the total payments and refunds in respect of all claims during the period of about two months ending 12th March may be roughly estimated at about £140,000.
§ Mr. CLYNESMay I ask whether the Free Labour Association, which claims to have a membership of about 1,000,000 is one of the associations referred to?