§ 58. Mr. HARMSWORTHasked the Minister of Labour the cost of Employment Exchanges per annum in terms of the cost per head of finding employment for an unemployed applicant?
§ Mr. BETTERTONThe cost of the Employment Exchanges is not allocated in this way, and I am afraid if I attempted to give a figure it would be bound to be misleading. Nearly the whole cost is incurred in the administration of the Unemployment Insurance Scheme, and is paid for out of the Unemployment Fund.
§ 40. Mr. CHARLES EDWARDSasked the Minister of Labour the total amount paid in salaries for the staff of the Risca Employment Exchange for each of the four weeks commencing the 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd February, 1926, and the numbers registering for the same weeks?
§ Mr. BETTERTONThe information desired has been prepared in the form of a tabular statement, which, with the hon. Member's permission, I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
| Following is the information desired: | |||||
| Week commencing. | Total amount paid in salaries. | Number of persons on the register. | |||
| £ | s. | d. | |||
| 1st February | … | 31 | 8 | 3 | 1,276 |
| 8th February | … | 25 | 19 | 7 | 1,254 |
| 15th February | … | 25 | 19 | 7 | 1,329 |
| 22nd February | … | 163 | 8 | 2* | 1,222 |
| * Including £136 10s. 6d. in respect of the salaries of permanent officers paid monthly. |
§ 59. Mr. HARMSWORTHasked the Minister of Labour whether, in the selection of sites for Employment Exchanges, the main consideration, apart from rent and rates, is situation in the centre of an industrial area in any city or town?
§ Mr. BETTERTONThe policy of the Department is to select sites or buildings for Employment Exchanges in positions 2277 reasonably accessible to employers and employés. Due regard is given to the cost involved, and main business thoroughfares are avoided as far as possible.
§ Mr. HARMSWORTHMay I ask the hon. Gentleman whether, in choosing these sites, the Ministry try to get the Employment Exchanges central for working-class districts, or whether they are put in the fashionable or trading parts of the town?
§ Mr. BETTERTONIn selecting sites for these Exchanges we do not select particular parts of towns, but at the same time we do endeavour to find sites which are reasonably accessible to those who, we think, will have occasion to use the Exchanges.
§ Mr. HARMSWORTHIn view of that answer, will the hon. Gentleman in future take steps to see that Employment Exchanges are not placed in fashionable parts of towns, as in many cases they have been?
§ Sir FREDRIC WISEHas the hon. Gentleman taken this matter up with the Office of Works?
§ Mr. BETTERTONWe are continually taking it up with the Office of Works.
§ Colonel WOODCOCKWill the hon. Gentleman tell us whether he has taken any steps to change some of the Employment Exchanges which are in most unsuitable positions?
§ Mr. BETTERTONThe hon. and gallant Gentleman must be aware that to change the situation of an existing Exchange will often defeat the very object which, I presume, he has in view, namely, economy.
§ Mr. J. H. THOMASDo we gather from the hon. Gentleman's answer that it is undesirable that fashionable people should know that there are unemployed?
§ Mr. BETTERTONNot at all.
§ 60. Mr. HARMSWORTHasked the Minister of Labour whether staffs of Employment Exchanges are engaged as permanent or as temporary employés; and, if in both capacities, whether, taking all the staffs in the country as a whole, he can indicate the respective percentages of permanent and temporary employés?
§ Mr. BETTERTONThe staff of the out-stations of the Employment Department is composed partly of permanent and partly of temporary officers. The proportions on the 1st March were 52.3 per cent. permanent and 47.7 per cent. temporary.