HC Deb 20 February 1929 vol 225 c1119
54. Mr. STEPHEN

asked the Minister of Labour how many additional workers are in employment this year to the latest available date as compared with last year and 1924; and of those how many are in productive and distributive industry respectively?

Sir A. STEEL-MAITLAND

It is estimated that at 21st January, 1929, there were approximately 105,700 fewer insured persons aged 16 to 64 in employment than at 23rd January, 1928, but 613,000 more than at 28th January, 1924. I am not sure that it would be possible to analyse the figures with sufficient accuracy under the headings of productive and distributive industry.

Mr. STEPHEN

In view of the importance of these figures, cannot the Minister give us some estimate from his Department as to how many are in productive and how many are in distributive industry?

Sir A. STEEL-MAITLAND

The difficulty of defining what is productive and what is distributive lies in deciding

PERSONS on the REGISTER of certain Employment Exchanges in DERBYSHIRE at 28th January, 1929.
Exchange. Wholly Unemployed. Temporarily Stopped. Total.
Eckington … … … … … 542 159 701
Clay Cross … … … … … 400 192 592
Bolsover … … … … … 256 424 680
Chesterfield … … … … … 3,290 463 3,753
Staveley … … … … … 343 46 389
Dronfield … … … … … 228 49 277
There is no Local Office of the Ministry of Labour at Clown, Whitwell, or Cresswell, and separate figures in respect of those places are therefore not available.