§ 7. Major MILNERasked the Minister of Labour if he will give the latest available figures of the number of persons totally unemployed in Great Britain, Italy, France, Germany, United States of America, Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden, also in the British Dominions overseas?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONAt 16th November, 1931, there were on the registers of the Employment Exchanges in Great Britain 2,200,002 persons wholly unemployed (including casuals). As regards oversea countries, the latest information in my possession is given on page 441 of the current issue of "The Ministry of Labour Gazette."
§ 8. Major MILNERasked the Minister of Labour if he will give the figures of those totally unemployed in Great Britain for the four weeks prior to the latest convenient date?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONAs the reply includes a table of figures, I will, if I may, circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Major MILNERCan the right hon. Gentleman give the House the average figure and say whether there has been an increase or a, decrease?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI cannot give the average without a mathematical calculation, which I cannot do in my head. The number on the 16th November was 2,089,000 and on the 19th October 2,119,000.
§ Major MILNERHow has the increase occurred?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONIt is a decrease and not an increase.
§ Major MILNERCan the right hon. Gentleman say why there has not been a greater decrease?
§ Following is the statement:
§ NUMBERS of wholly unemployed persons on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Great Britain:
| 19th October, 1931 | … | 2,119,769 |
| 26th October, 1931 | … | 2,127,943 |
| 2nd November, 1931 | … | 2,129,699 |
| 9th November, 1931 | … | 2,113,350 |
| 16th November, 1931 | … | 2,089,568 |