§ 6. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Minister of Labour whether he can state the number of persons at present registered as unemployed; whether he has any estimate of the unemployed not on the register; and whether he has any estimate of the number of persons consistently working short time?
§ The MINISTER of LABOUR (Sir Arthur Steel-Maitland)At 5th April the number of persons on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Great Britain was 1,049,800, including 238,600 who were temporarily stopped from the service of 183 their employers. The latter figure includes those working short time so far as they are registered. I am unable to give any estimate of the number of persons unemployed or on short time, and not on the registers.
§ Commander BELLAIRSDo not these figures include many persons who would not have been regarded as unemployed in former days, such as merchant seamen waiting for the next voyage?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDYes, from that point of view it includes a certain number.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODIs the Minister doing anything outstanding in order to minimise the amount of unemployment?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat does not arise on this question.
9. Mr. T. THOMSONasked the Minister of Labour the number of persons unemployed at the present time and the number for the same period last year?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDAt 5th April the number of persons on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Great Britain was 1,049,800 as compared with 1,166,353 at 6th April, 1925.
§ Mr. H. WILLIAMSHow does that figure compare with after Easter last year, instead of exactly a year ago?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDI cannot tell the hon. Member that from memory. The point of interest in regard to Easter this year is that, as might be expected, there was an increase in the weekly number of 36,000, because of Easter, consisting of 56,000 who stood off, clearly on account of the holiday, while, on the other hand, there was a decrease of 20,000 in those permanently unemployed.
§ Mr. PALINGWill the Minister tell us how much of the decrease is due to people being thrown on to the Poor Law?
§ 12. Mr. H. WILLIAMS (for Mr. HANNON)asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the statistics recently published by his Department showing the approximate number of persons who would appear on the un- 184 employment returns if the present restrictions in regard to payment of unemployment insurance benefit were removed, he will consider the desirability of publishing similar information every six months in order to allay suspicion in regard to the accuracy of the unemployment figures published meekly?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINUnder existing arrangements, the material from which these statistics were compiled will continue to be available. I will consider in due course whether it is desirable to issue a further memorandum similar to that referred to in the question.