§ 5. Mr. BATEYasked the Minister of Labour the number of miners unemployed in each mining district on 31st March, 1924, and on 31st March, 1929, respectively?
§ Mr. BETTERTONAs the reply includes a number of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
| NUMBERS OF INSURED PERSONS classified as belonging to the Coal Mining Industry in Great Britain recorded as unemployed at 24th March, 1924, and at 25th March, 1929. | |||||
| District. | Numbers unemployed at | ||||
| 24th March, 1924. | 25th March, 1929. | ||||
| Wholly Unemployed. | Temporarily stopped. | Total. | |||
| Northumberland | … | 1,078 | 6,937 | 160 | 7,097 |
| Durham | … | 4,403 | 24,184 | 3,324 | 27,508 |
| Cumberland and Westmorland | … | 410 | 2,451 | 320 | 2,771 |
| Yorkshire | … | 2,300 | 15,496 | 1,068 | 16,564 |
| Lancs. and Cheshire | … | 2,980 | 9,121 | 2,573 | 11,694 |
| Derbyshire | … | 531 | 2,577 | 520 | 3,097 |
| Notts. and Leicester | … | 315 | 2,881 | 287 | 3,168 |
| Warwick | … | 193 | 952 | 20 | 972 |
| Staffs., Worcester and Salop | … | 2,822 | 6,270 | 479 | 6,749 |
| Gloucester and Somerset | … | 813 | 1,301 | 85 | 1,386 |
| Kent | … | 142 | 132 | 153 | 285 |
| Wales and Monmouth | … | 5,701 | 44,160 | 3,264 | 47,424 |
| England and Waies | … | 21,993 | 117,238 | 12,261 | 129,499 |
| Scotland | … | 4,410 | 17,538 | 497 | 18,035 |
| Great Britain | … | 26,403 | 134,776 | 12,758 | 147,534 |
§ 6. Mr. BATEYasked the Minister of Labour the number of miners unemployed in the County of Durham on 31st March, 1924, and on 31st March, 1929, respectively?
§ Mr. BETTERTONAt 25th March, 1929, the number of insured persons aged
§ Mr. LAWSONWill the hon. Gentleman give us the figures for 1924 for the whole of Great Britain?
§ Mr. BETTERTONCertainly. In 1924 in Great Britain the figure was 26,403 and in 1929 it was 147,534.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSIs the hon. Gentleman aware that in a number of collieries the managements have been flooding the mines with new men during the last few weeks, making it quite impossible for any of the men to earn a reasonable wage; and has that any connection with the General Election?
§ Mr. BETTERTONIn regard to the first part of the supplementary question, if the hon. Member means that there has been any breach of the agreement that new men should not go into the collieries, I should be very much obliged, if he would give me particulars of it.
§ Following is the statement:
§ 16 to 64, classified as belonging to the coalmining industry recorded as unemployed in the County of Durham was 27,508, as compared with 4,403 aged 16 and over at 24th March, 1924.
§ Mr. LAWSONCan the hon. Gentleman explain how it is that yesterday we had 2171 a statement by the Ministry of Health that 16,000 men who had been occupied in industry and were now unemployed were receiving relief because they were getting no benefit? Is there any explanation of the large number of men who are unemployed, but who are getting no benefit?
§ Mr. BETTERTONThat is entirely a different question, and I am afraid, as I did not hear the statement to which the hon. Member refers, I cannot make any comment on it.
§ Mr. BATEYSeeing there is such a huge increase in the number of unemployed miners between 1924 and 1929, are the Government proposing to do anything to find work for these men?
§ Mr. BETTERTONThat, of course, is entirely a different question, and it does not in any way arise out of the question on the Paper.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSAre the 16,000 unemployed miners who are not receiving unemployment benefit included in the 27,508?
§ Mr. BETTERTONI should require notice of that question. That is the figure, I suppose, mentioned by the other hon. Member, and I should like notice of it, in order that I might see exactly what it is, so as to be able to give a definite answer to it.