HC Deb 22 July 1937 vol 326 c2382
11. Mr. Thorne

asked the Minister of Labour if he can state how many people are unemployed outside those that are recorded by the Employment Exchanges?

Mr. E. Brown

No, Sir; but I have no reason to suppose that the number is at all considerable.

Mr. Thorne

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that millions of people are not entitled to become insured, and would he be surprised to know that between 500,000 and 700,000 of them are out of employment?

Mr. Brown

The hon. Gentleman asked me for the information which we have and which we can verify, and I have told him I have no reason to suppose that the number is at all considerable.

Mr. Thorne

Will the right hon. Gentleman be good enough to go into the Library and get all the information that is to be found about this matter in the books there?

Mr. Brown

Not all the information that is in books is necessarily accurate.

Mr. Davidson

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the unregistered unemployed in Scotland have considerably increased during the past two years?

Mr. Brown

I know that there has been a great decrease in unemployment in Scotland.

Forward to