HC Deb 31 March 1938 vol 333 cc2151-2
5. Mr. Chorlton

asked the Minister of Labour whether the increase of unemployment in the town of Bury, Lancashire, was in the textile trade alone; and will he give the reduction in the number of hands employed in bleach works over the last five years?

Mr. E. Brown

As the reply is long and includes a number of figures, I will, if I may, circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the statement:

The greater part of the increase in unemployment in recent months at Bury has occurred in the cotton and textile bleaching, printing, dyeing, etc., industries. The following table gives the numbers of insured persons, aged 16–64, in the principal industries recorded as unemployed at the Bury Employment Exchange and Juvenile Employment Bureau at 13th September, 1937, and 14th February, 1938:

Industry. 13th September, 1937. 14th February, 1938.
Building 155 263
Cotton 387 1,160
Textile Bleaching, Printing, Dyeing, etc. 428 719
Distributive Trades 223 294
Local Government Service. 170 205
Boots, Shoes, Slippers, etc. 132 268
General Engineering, etc. 87 131
Paper and Paper Board 62 123
Hats and Caps 120 66
All other industries and services. 561 782
Total 2,325 4,011

The following table gives for the textile bleaching, printing, dyeing, etc., industry at Bury the numbers of insured persons, aged 16–64, at July, 1932, and July, 1937, and the numbers of such persons recorded as unemployed in the same months, together with the corresponding unemployment figures for 14th February, 1938:

— July, 1932. July, 1937. February, 1938.
Estimated numbers insured, aged 16–64. 2,350 2,180 Not available.
Numbers recorded as unemployed. 740 403 719
Difference 1,610 1,777 —