76. Lieut.-Colonel DALRYMPLE WHITEasked the Minister of Labour what is the number of skilled men in the building trades now registered as unemployed; and if he will state, allowing for the usual proportion of unskilled to skilled men, the approximate total number of unemployed men in the building trades immediately available for the construction of houses?
§ Sir M. BARLOWAt 20th November the Employment Exchange registers included 56,502 building trade operatives in skilled occupations, and 74,406 in unskilled occupations. The number who could be effectively employed at once on building houses cannot be stated, as so much would depend on such factors as the geographical distribution of the men and their grouping in the various skilled occupations. It must be borne in mind that in certain of the skilled branches of the building industry there is no large number of unemployed labour—in fact, rather the reverse.
Lieut.-Colonel WHITEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that last week, in answer to a question, he said that there were only 5,000 bricklayers out of employment?
§ Sir M. BARLOWThat point is covered by the last part of my answer.