§ 21. Mr. REMERasked the Minister of Labour the estimated number of insured persons registered in the lace industry as at the end of June, 1924, 1925 and 1929, respectively; the number of persons unemployed at the same dates; and the number of persons actually at work at the same dates?
§ Miss BONDFIELDAs the reply includes a number of figures, I will, if I may, circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Miss BONDFIELDI will certainly read them.
The following table shows the estimated numbers of insured persons, aged 16 to 64, classified as belonging to the lace industry in Great Britain, the numbers of such persons recorded as unemployed, and the differences between these figures. The figures in column (4) include persons who were sick or for other reasons not actually at work, though not recorded as unemployed.
| End of | Estimated numbers insured. | Numbers unemployed. | Differences. |
| 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. |
| June, 1924 | 19,380 | 3,600 | 15,780 |
| June, 1925 | 18,540 | 3,220 | 15,320 |
| June, 1929 | 16,920 | 1,655 | 15,265 |
§ Mr. REMERAs these figures are quite different to those quoted by the President of the Board of Trade on 14th May, will the right hon. Lady pass them on so that they can be given accurately by the right hon. Gentleman?
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYDo not these figures show that the vaunted advantages of Safeguarding are illusory?
§ 27. Sir BASIL PETOasked the Minister of Labour whether she can state the number of workpeople registered as employed in the lace industry aged 65 and over at the end of June, 1925; the number of workpeople registered as employed in the lace industry who have attained the age of 65 years during the period June, 1925, to the end of June, 1929, and who, in consequence thereof, are no longer registered as engaged in the industry; and the number of work-people engaged in the lace industry aged 65 and over at the end of June, 1929?
§ Miss BONDFIELDIt is estimated that at the end of June, 1923, there were about 960 insured persons aged 65 and over classified as belonging to the lace industry. I regret that similar statistics 549 in respect of June, 1929, and statistics of the numbers who reached 65 during the intervening period are not available.
§ Sir B. PETOCan the right hon. Lady say why these statistics are available in the Ministry for an earlier date, but are not available for the present date?
§ Miss BONDFIELDBecause prior to the new Act it was necessary to keep these statistics. After the other pensions they were no longer required.