§ 27. Captain PETER MACDONALDasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the present level of unemployment in the West Indies by total and percentages?
§ Dr. SHIELSAs the answer is long and contains a number of figures, I will, with the hon. and gallant Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Captain MACDONALDCan the Under-Secretary say if the position has improved in any way?
§ Dr. SHIELSI am afraid that there is no change since the last time I answered a question on this subject. It is much the same.
§ Following is the reply:
§ I am not in possession of information in the form which the hon. and gallant Member desires. The following information is, however, available, and I hope that it will be of assistance to the hon. and gallant Member. The daily average of unemployed engaged on relief works was as follows:
§ Antigua, 500, January to March.
§ British Guiana, 1,315, September to March.
§ In St. Kitts Nevis the number of persons employed was 285 in September, rising to a maximum of 1,212.
§ In Anguilla the total number of persons from the commencement of relief works was 222.
§ The estimated total population of these Dependencies is as follows:
| Antigua | … | … | 30,974 |
| British Guiana | … | … | 309,676 |
| St. Kitts Nevis | … | … | 35,335 |
§ (The population of Anguilla is included in that shown for St. Kitts Nevis.)
§ Those employed on relief works include both men and women, and in addition a number of lads who normally find employment on the sugar estates.
§ The latest reports recently received from Trinidad and St. Lucia do not enable me to add anything to the information given in the reply to the question asked on 29th April by the hon. Member for Torquay (Mr. C. Williams).