§ 68. Mr. THORNEasked the Minister of Labour how many skilled engineers are registered as unemployed at the various Employment Exchanges throughout the country; whether he is aware that the Amalgamated Engineering Union have 9,500 skilled members of the union unemployed; and whether it is the custom and practice for engineering firms when they require skilled engineers, if they cannot get suitable employes from the Employment Exchanges, to apply to the district and central offices of the Amalgamated Engineering Union?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of LABOUR (Lieut.-Colonel Muirhead)The number of wholly unemployed men aged 18 and over on the registers of the Employment Exchanges on the 2nd March, 1936, who were registered as applicants for employment in the main skilled engineering occupations (including fitters, turners, metal machinists and welders) was 31,719. Such registration is not a guarantee of any particular degree of skill and it is found at the present time that there is often difficulty in filling vacancies by reason of the fact that suitable men are not available. I cannot give the number of members of the Amalgamated Engineering Union unemployed but they would normally be included in the total I have quoted. As regards the last part of the question, I have no doubt that in a number of cases this is so, and I may add that the exchanges themselves make a practice of giving the union an opportunity of finding men for vacancies which the local exchanges are unable to fill.
§ Mr. GEORGE GRIFFITHSWill the Parliamentary Secretary instruct his followers behind him not to handle the truth so lightly in future by saying—