§ 22. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Minister of Labour the number of persons at present unemployed and the number working short time?
§ The MINISTER of LABOUR (Sir Arthur Steel-Maitland)At 14th January, 1929, there were 1,435,000 persons on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Great Britain, of whom 1,140,000 were wholly unemployed and 295,000 temporarily stopped from the services of their 11 employers. Separate statistics of the number of persons on short time are not available.
§ Mr. R. MORRISONIs it, the new method to omit the word "million" in order to try to minimise the total?
§ 24. Mr. LUNNasked the Minister of Labour what was the total number of persons registered as unemployed on 1st January, 1929, and the total number registered on 1st January, 1928, with comparative figures of the total number of miners registered as unemployed on the two above-mentioned dates?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDAs the reply includes a number of figures, I will circulate it, if I may, in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. LUNNAs there are so few questions on the Paper and there is an hour allowed for questions, and as this is a most important question as to the growth or decrease of unemployment, cannot the right hon. Gentleman give the information now?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDIf the House can spare five minutes, I am prepared to read the reply.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYOn a point of Order. When the Minister is prepared to give the figures relating to such a grave matter, is not the House entitled to the information?
§ Mr. SEXTONUnless the answer is given now it will not be possible to ask supplementary questions challenging the Minister's reply.
§ Captain GARRO-JONES rose—
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe matter rests with the hon. Gentleman who asked the original question.
§ Mr. LUNNI agree with my hon. Friend who put the point that the answer may not be satisfactory to the House, and that there may be reasons for putting other questions, or even for making suggestions that would be helpful to the Minister.
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDThe reply is as follows:
§ The latest available figures for unemployment in the coal mining industry relate to the 17th December, 1928, and the following table accordingly gives the live register figures for that date (and the corresponding date in 1927). as well as for 31st December, 1928, and 2nd January, 1928:
| — | Total on Live Register. | Insured Persons recorded as unemployed in Coal Mining. |
| 31st December, 1928 | 1,520,730 | Figures not available. |
| 2nd January, 1928 | 1,336,303 | |
| 17th December, 1928 | 1,271,122 | 212,984* |
| 19 th December, 1927 | 1,100,052 | 207,196† |
| * Aged 16 to 64. | ||
| † Aged 16 and over. |
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYThe reading of the reply has occupied exactly one minute.
§ Mr. LUNNIn view of the alarming number of unemployed in the country, may I ask whether the only prescription of the Government is charity to deal with the matter, or whether, now that we are beginning a new Session, they have any scheme which would find work for the unemployed or for any number of them?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat does not arise strictly out of the question.
§ Mr. SEXTONDo the figures given show the numbers of men registered from the Liverpool Dock Clearing House, and is it not a fact that a large percentage are permanently out of work?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDThat point does not arise out of the original question, but, if the hon. Member will put his question on the Paper, I will obtain what information I can.