§ 49. Mr. BOYCEasked the Minister of Labour the number of employés now employed by the four main-line railway companies; and the number of railway-men who are unemployed at the present time?
Mr. HUDSONThe total number of persons, permanent and non-permanent, of all grades and classes employed by the railway companies referred to was 588,186 during the week ended 7th March, 1931, the latest period for which such statistics are available. The number of insured workers included in the railway industry classification for all railways last July was 140,020, of whom 21,971 were recorded as unemployed in Great Britain on 21st March, 1932. I cannot give figures of unemployment for the remainder; 382,412 railway employés in all were excepted from unemployment insurance, and the balance, so far as insured, were included under other industry classifications, principally engineering and vehicle construction and repair.