§ 35. Mr. WARDLAW-MILNEasked the Minister of Transport whether the number of persons employed by the railway companies, as shown by the Return of his Department issued in August, 1928, for the week ending 10th March, 1928, included persons employed in connection with omnibus and other motor services; and whether the number employed can be given for the latest convenient date on the same basis of calculation as that set out in the Board of Trade Return of 1915, showing the staff employed in 1913, so as to provide a comparison of the numbers employed on the same work in the two years 1913 and 1928?
§ Mr. HERBERT MORRISONThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As I have already informed the hon. Member, I am unable to give strictly comparable figures for 1913 and 1928 respectively. It is, however, estimated that the later Return includes approximately 40,500 persons employed in businesses which were not covered by the Return for 1913.
§ Mr. WARDLAW-MILNEMay we take it that, excluding that figure or some similar figure, the figures for the two years are comparable?
§ Mr. MORRISONThe figures are somewhat complicated, and I should not like to say so on the spur of the moment.
§ Mr. WARDLAW-MILNEWill the hon. Gentleman try to give me a definite answer? I have three times asked him for figures which compare, and it should not be impossible.
§ Mr. MORRISONI think I have three times informed the hon. Member that the figures are not strictly comparable, and therefore I cannot give him a definite answer. I have really done my best for him.