§ 10. Lieut.-Colonel FREMANTLEasked the Minister of Labour what are the variations in seasonal employment in the building industry in this country as compared with Germany and other countries?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDAs the reply is somewhat long, I will, with my hon. and gallant Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the reply:
§ Recent issues of the "International Labour Review," published by the International Labour Office, have contained a aeries of articles, under the title, "Seasonal Unemployment in the Building Industry in Certain European Countries," in which an exhaustive study is made of this question. The information given in these articles is too extensive to be condensed within the limits of a reply to a Parliamentary question, but the general conclusion is reached that, subject to corrections required by insufficient comparability of the unemployment figures in different countries "compared with those of Great Britain the seasonal fluctuations in the rate of unemployment in Germany are three or four times as great, in the Netherlands five times, and in Denmark 10 times as great," and that "the fluctuations in Italy also appear to be greater than in Great Britain, but less than in the other countries mentioned." For more detailed information, and for the statistics on which these conclusions are based, I would refer by hon. and gallant Friend to the issues of the "International Labour Review" for January, February and March, 1929.
§ 11. Lieut.-Colonel FREMANTLEasked the Minister of Labour the decrease in the total number of insured craftsmen in the building industry between January, 1914, and July, 1923; and what has been the increase in the number since 1923?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDIt is estimated that the total number of insured craftsmen in the building industry declined by 88,850 between January, 1914, and July, 1923. Between July, 1923, and July, 1927, there was an estimated increase of 64,130 in the numbers aged 16 and over; and between July, 1927, and July, 1928, an increase of 430 in the numbers aged 16 to 64. It should be noted that these figures do not include persons 1537 belonging to occupations common to the building and other industries, as for example, carpenters or bricklayers, who at the respective dates were not classified as belonging to the building industry.
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDI want to give a precise answer, and, if the hon. Member will put the question down, I will give him a reply.