§ 20. Mr. BOWERMANasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the printing trade, both in London and the provinces, has been and still is in 1921 an extremely depressed state, and that in London alone between five and six hundred compositors are unemployed at the present time; whether, owing to the scarcity of male labour in certain directions, there are suitable avenues of employment open for such skilled artisans; and whether he will use the Board's influence with Government Departments in endeavouring to secure employment for such workmen?
§ Mr. PRETYMANI am aware that there are a considerable number of workmen unemployed in the printing trade according to the returns made to the Board of Trade by trade unions. The number of these applying for work at the Labour Exchanges throughout the United Kingdom at the 11th June was, however, only 223. If the unemployed workmen in the printing trades will make application at a Labour Exchange and indicate the kind of work which they are prepared, if necessary, to accept, the Department will, in consultation with the branch secretaries of the association, make every effort to assist them, and would be in a much better position to do so than they are at present.