§ 3. Mr. E. WILLIAMSasked the Minister of Labour if he will furnish figures showing the estimated number of unemployed men and women on 31st March, 1932, or the nearest convenient date, in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Russia, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Czechoslovakia, Austria, United States of America, and Argentina; and state whether any of these countries have reduced the hours of labour with the object of increasing the number of persons employed?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONAs the reply is somewhat long, I will, if I may, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the reply;
§ A summary of such statistics as are officially published with regard to employment and unemployment in the principal overseas countries is regularly published in the Ministry of Labour Gazette under the heading "Employment Overseas," and the latest information received will be given in the April issue, which will be published on Monday next. I would also refer the hon. Member to my reply of 7th April to the hon. Member for Westhoughton (Mr. R. Davies) of which I am sending him a copy. As regards the second part of the question, the only case of which I am aware is the German Emergency Order of 5th June, 1931, which gave the Federal Government power to reduce the normal statutory working week to 40 hours or more, and I understand that action under this Order is suspended for the time being.
§ 6. Mr. PARKINSONasked the Minister of Labour the number of men and the number of women that have been unemployed for more than six months; and whether he can give the number who are aged between 60 and 65?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONAt 21st March, 1932, there were on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Great Britain 646,420 men and 67,979 women applying for insurance benefit or transitional payments whose period of registered unemployment had then lasted for six months or more. I am unable to say how many of these were aged 60 to 65.
Lieut.-Colonel Sir FREDERICK HALLConsidering that there are nearly 70,000 women unemployed and the great difficulty that there is in obtaining domestic servants, cannot some steps be taken to endeavour to utilise the services of these women for the purpose of domestic service?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONAs my hon. and gallant Friend knows, we are always examining this matter, and our policy has not differed in this respect from that of the last two Governments.
§ Mr. PARKINSONCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether it will be possible to give the number of persons who are aged between 60 and 65?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI do not think that we can do so. I do not think that we have any record that would enable us to give the information which the hon. Member desires because we have not the statistics. But I will look into the matter again, and, if I can give any figure, either actual or approximate, I will certainly do so, but I do not think that we have the statistics.