§ 13. Sir ARTHUR STEEL-MAITLANDasked the Minister of Labour whether she will grant a return analysing the 115,000 persons given employment on public works on the initiative of the Government, and showing the composition of these persons classified according to sex, age, and the last regular occupation of employ.s, and distinguishing the above into the two classes of those without and those with dependants?
§ Miss BONDFIELDIn order to obtain these particulars, it would be necessary to ask each of the local authorities concerned to make a special return. I am very reluctant to throw this additional burden on the authorities at a moment 555 when they are being pressed to throw all their energies into the speeding up of the provision of work.
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDDoes the Minister not agree that this will be the best way of ascertaining the real value of unemployment schemes to the people for whom they are intended?
§ Miss BONDFIELDI realise the value of getting such statistics, and I might find out whether it is possible to get something not quite so exact at the time at which payments are sent from the Employment Exchanges.
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDWill the Minister communicate with me to see whether we can get it within a reasonable time, and the nature of what she thinks it is possible to get without undue trouble?
§ Miss BONDFIELDYes.