§ 12. Lieut.-Colonel FREMANTLEasked the Minister of Labour what were the numbers of unemployed persons in the building industry in January, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, and 1929, respectively; what are the latest figures; and what are the respective percentages of insured workers?
§ The MINISTER of LABOUR (Sir Arthur Steel-Maitland)As the reply includes a number of figures I will, with my hon. and gallant Friend's permission, circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a statement giving the available information.
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDNo, the numbers are greatly on the decrease.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSWill the right hon. Gentleman give the figure for 1929, so that we can test that statement?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDThe figure for the 25th March, which I have here, is 101,000; the percentage of unemployed is 12.6.
§ Lieut.-Colonel FREMANTLEMay I ask whether the figures given in the answer include those for 1928, which date has been inadvertently left out of my question as printed, though it was put in the original manuscript?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDI assumed that the hon. and gallant Member wished to have the full series of figures, and I have inserted those for that year.
§ Lieut.-Colonel Sir GODFREY DALRYMPLE-WHITEMay I ask when the right hon. Gentleman will have figures later than those of 25th March?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDI have the figures by occupations towards the last week in each month, and they go out tolerably early in the next month. I shall be glad to publish them as soon as ever they are available.
§ Following is the statement:
§ The following table gives the numbers and percentages of insured persons classified as belonging to the building industry in Great Britain recorded as unemployed, in January of each year since 1924, and at 25th March, 1929, the latest date for which figures are available:
| Date. | Number Unemployed. | Percentage Unemployed. |
| 22nd January, 1923 | Comparable statistics not available | |
| 28th January, 1924 | 105,546 | 15.0 |
| 26th January, 1925 | 91,818 | 12.9 |
| 25th January, 1926 | 107,411 | 14.4 |
| 24th January, 1927 | 111,607 | 14.8 |
| 23rd January, 1928* | 137,401 | 17.3 |
| 21st January, 1929 | 159,219 | 19.8 |
| 25th March, 1929 | 101,069 | 12.6 |
| * From this date the figures relate to persons aged 16 to 64; previously the figures included persons aged 65 years and over. For practical purposes the percentages are comparable throughout. |
§ 13. Lieut.-Colonel FREMANTLEasked the Minister of Labour if the figures of insured workers unemployed in the building industry relate solely to those thrown out of work owing to a slackening in house building; and how far are the recent figures abnormal, due to seasonal variations, and to the prolonged frost?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDThe statistics of unemployment in the building industry relate to the total number of persons engaged in that industry on the construction, maintenance, and repair of buildings of all descriptions, and do not relate solely to those thrown out of work through any slackening in house building. The figures for January and February of this year were abnormally increased by the severe weather conditions, and during March the percentage 862 rate of unemployment in the industry fell by 12.2, from 24.8 per cent. at 25th February to 12.6 per cent. at 25th March. The figure for 25th March still includes a proportion of unemployment due to seasonal causes.