§ 27. Sir W. de FRECEasked the Minister of Labour if he can state the number of men on the registers of the Employment Exchanges whose unemployment is directly attributable to the coal shortage?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDPrecise figures on this point are not available. Having regard, however, to the downward course of the unemployment figures previously, I think it may fairly be assumed that the number of men on the Employment Exchange registers whose unemployment is due to the coal shortage is not less than the total increase in the number of men on these registers, viz., 445,900 between 26th April and 19th July.