19. Mr. ROBINSONasked the Minister of Labour the number of insured persons aged 65 or over, giving the separate figures for men and women, who will cease to be eligible for unemployment insurance benefit after 2nd January, 1928?
§ The MINISTER of LABOUR (Sir Arthur Steel-Maitland)It is estimated that approximately 342,000 persons aged 65 and over, including about 319,000 men and 23,000 women, who are now insured under the Unemployment Insurance Acts, will cease to be insured as from 392 2nd January, 1928, under the provisions of the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925.
§ 24. Mr. COMPTONasked the Minister of Labour whether he will furnish a Return showing, for the last convenient date, the highest and lowest percentage of unemployment by localities corresponding to the statistics given in his answer to a similar question on 23rd November, 1926?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDThe information desired is being tabulated, and as soon as the work is completed I will circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ 23. Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Labour if he will state the number of persons on the live register of the Stratford, Canning Town, and Leyton Exchanges for 1st November, 1924, 1925, 1926 and 1927?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDThe total number of persons on the registers of these three Exchanges on the first Monday in November of the years in question were as follows: 1924, 27,110; 1925, 22,906; 1926, 19,997; and 1927, 15,541.
§ 25. Mr. COMPTONasked the Minister of Labour whether he will furnish a Return showing, for the year 1926–27, the aggregate amounts paid in unemployment benefit and received in contributions from the workers, the employers, and the State, respectively, comparable with the Return given on 17th November, 1926; and will he give the revised figures for the year 1925–26?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDAs the reply involves a statement in tabular form, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the statement:
§ The accounts of the Unemployment Fund are now made up annually to the 31st March in each year, commencing with the account to 31st March, 1927. Accordingly, figures of revenue and expenditure for the insurance year 1926–27, which ended on 3rd July last, are not readily 393 available. The following table gives the approximate figures for the insurance
| — | Insurance Year 1925–26 (6th July, 1925, to 4th July, 1926–52 weeks). | Period 5th July, 1926, to 30th June,1927 (51 weeks). | |||||
| £ | £ | ||||||
| Total Benefit | … | … | … | … | … | 43,660,000 | 46,810,000 |
| Contributions:— | |||||||
| Workers | … | … | … | … | … | 15,790,000 | 13,020,000 |
| Employers | … | … | … | … | … | 17,760,000 | 14,880,000 |
| War Service Departments (for ex-Service Men) | 320,000 | 330,000 | |||||
| Exchequer | … | … | … | … | … | 12,910,000 | 10,900,000 |
| 46,780,000 | 39,130,000 |
§ In addition to unemployment benefit, the Unemployment Fund bore charges in respect of administration, interest, and compensatory payments in respect of abolition of refunds, etc. The amount of the Exchequer contributions for the period 5th July, 1926, to 30th June, 1927, is subject to adjustment.