§ 38. Mr. H. WILLIAMSasked the Minister of Labour the number of coal miners on the books of the colliery companies and the number registered as unemployed on the latest date for which both figures are available, and the corresponding figures for the same date of last year?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDAccording to the information of the Mines Department, the number of wage-earners on the colliery books on 23rd May, 1925, was 1,095,744 as compared with 1,191,816 on 24th May, 1924. The number of persons insured under the Unemployment Insurance Acts in Great Britain who were recorded at Employment Exchanges as unemployed on 25th May, 1925, was 199,154, as compared with 38,052 on 26th May, 1924. Statistics for a later date are not yet available.
As I explained in my reply to my hon. Friend's question on 13th May last, the two sets of figures are not mutually exclusive, and the total number of workers in the coal mining industry cannot be obtained by adding the number on the colliery books to the number recorded as unemployed.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSAm I entitled to assume that some of the men are returned as both employed and unemployed on the same date?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDNo, sir. The hon. Member may assume that some men are returned as being on the colliery books and as unemployed on the same date.
Mr. RICHARDSONMay I ask whether the figures the right hon. Gentleman has given include the number of men who are out of work because of the owners trying to break through agreements and throw the men idle?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDI could not give any answer to that question. It raises a presumption. This is the total number of men out of work, so far as they are recorded as unemployed from any cause.
§ Mr. SPEAKERWill the hon. Member put his question down? Then he will get an answer.