§ 44. Mr. HANNONasked the Minister of Labour the latest figures representing the volume of unemployment in the iron and steel industries as compared with the corresponding date in 1929?
§ Mr. LAWSONAt 24th March, 1930, the number of insured persons, aged 16 to 64, classified as belonging to the iron and steel industries (including pig iron manufacture, steel melting, iron and steel rolling and forging, etc.) recorded as unemployed in Great Britain was 49,739, as compared with 34,148 at 25th March, 1929.
§ Mr. HANNONIn view of the gravity of this figure, will the hon. Gentleman recommend the Chancellor of the Exchequer to include iron and steel as a subject of Safeguarding in the Finance Bill?
§ Mr. LAWSONIt may be of interest to the hon. Gentleman and to the House generally to know that in the two comparable industrial countries the conditions in these industries were definitely worse during the same period than they were a year earlier, namely, Germany and America.
§ Mr. HANNONIs not that because we did not take steps to protect our industries in this country?
§ Captain WATERHOUSEWhat satisfaction is it to the unemployed in this country to be told that there are unemployed in other countries?
§ Mr. KIRKWOODDoes that not clearly show that it is a case of "a plague on both your houses" and that neither Free Trade nor Protection is any use to the working-classes of this country.