§ 54. Sir JOHN POWERasked the Minister of Labour whether able-bodied persons in receipt of poor relief are now generally required to register for employment at the Employment Exchange; and the number so registered, and the number of dependants, for the latest available date?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI have been asked to reply. The reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. Separate figures of the numbers of able-bodied and non-able-bodied recipients of relief are not available. The average number of persons ordinarily engaged in some regular occupation (and their dependants) in receipt of out-door poor relief in England and Wales in January, 1929, who were unemployed and registered for employment at the Employment Exchanges was 314,963. Of this number approximately 229,000 were dependent wives and children.
§ Mr. MARDY JONESCan the Minister state Whether the guardians generally give the relief to able-bodied persons in this way, or is it only given by a few unions, and can he say by which unions?