55. Mr. TREVELYAN THOMSONasked the Minister of Health if he can give any figures showing the number or percentage of building operatives engaged on the construction of working-class houses under State-assisted schemes or otherwise and the percentage engaged on other forms of building at the present time or during any period since State-assisted housing schemes were started?
§ Mr. WHEATLEYAs the answer in-involves tabular statements, I will, with the permission of the hon. Member, circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT such information as I possess.
§ Following is the answer:
§ The numbers of men engaged at various dates upon the erection of houses by local authorities and public utility societies in England and Wales under the Housing, 1240 Town Planning, Etc., Act, 1919, were as follows:
| Date. | Number of Men. | ||
| Skilled. | Unskilled. | ||
| 30th June, 1920 | … | 15,100 | 18,092 |
| 31st December, 1923 | … | 40,270 | 41,093 |
| 1st July, 1921 | … | 79,908 | 69,946 |
| 1st January, 1922 | … | 67,987 | 49,792 |
| 1st July, 1922 | … | 40,248 | 29,675 |
| 1st January, 1923 | … | 12,971 | 10,276 |
| 1st July, 1923 | … | 5,420 | 3,816 |
§ It is not possible to state the numbers engaged on building work other than house building, but the total number of skilled operatives in October, 1923, insured against unemployment in England and Wales, excluding operatives employed in connection with industries other than the building industry, e.g., shipbuilding, was 319,790.