§ 16. Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDasked the Minister of Labour whether all the schemes of public work on which 115,000 people are now engaged were started or sanctioned by the present Government; and, if not, how much of the employment of the 115,000 persons mentioned is given by schemes started or sanctioned under the late Government?
§ Miss BONDFIELDThe answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. Full information as to the second part of the question is not readily available, but of the men employed on schemes approved by the Unemployment Grants Committee about 14 per cent. are employed on work sanctioned by the late Government.
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDCan the right hon. Lady prepare any figures giving an accurate estimate with regard to the whole?
§ Miss BONDFIELDI will do my best, but the right hon. Gentleman knows that it is very difficult.
§ 17. Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDasked the Minister of Labour how many persons over 50 years of age it is estimated are among the 115,000 persons officially stated to be employed on the schemes of public works started by or sanctioned by the Government?
§ Miss BONDFIELDIn general, in selecting men for employment on the various schemes of public works, a preference is given wherever practicable, and subject to industrial suitability, to married men or men with dependants; but I have no statistics as to the number of men thus employed who are over 50 years of age.
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDCan the right hon. Lady obtain for us within a short time, say within the next fortnight, in regard to those persons to whom employment has been given, details with regard to their age groups, their sex, and their previous occupation, as that alone can be of any value as to unemployment?
§ Miss BONDFIELDI think that is impossible within a fortnight.
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDIf I put a question to the right hon. Lady, will she be able to give me an answer within the next fortnight? I think it can be done easily from the administrative point of view.
§ Miss BONDFIELDI will do my best.