§ 2. Mr. Mainwaringasked the Minister of Labour how many men, 65 years of age and over, continued to sign at Employment Exchanges in Wales as avail able for work on the first week in January, 1939?
§ Mr. E. BrownStatistics are not available in respect of the beginning of Janu- 684 ary, 1939, but at 1st May, 1939, 297 unemployed men, aged 65 and over, were registered at Employment Exchanges in Wales and Monmouthshire as applicants for employment.
§ 3. Mr. Mainwaringasked the Minister of Labour the number of men registered as seeking and available for work at the Employment Exchanges in Wales on 1st January, 1938; the number of new applicants and additions thereto during the year; the number that obtained work or resumed their former employment; the number that left for work outside of Wales; and the number on the register on 31st December, 1938?
§ Mr. BrownThe total numbers of unemployed men, aged 18 and over, on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Wales and Monmouthshire were 125,217 at 13th December, 1937, and 145,517 at 12th December, 1938. I regret that statistics giving the other information desired by the hon. Member are not available.
§ Mr. A. JenkinsCan the right hon. Gentleman say what numbers have been unemployed for long periods?
§ 11. Mr. Jenkinsasked the Minister of Labour what steps he has taken to prevail upon the contractors engaged in the building of the ordnance works at Glascoed, Monmouthshire, to give employment to the large number of men resident in the district who are 50 years of age and upwards, and have been unemployed for more than a year, in preference to importing labour from outside the area; and what is the result of his efforts?
§ Mr. BrownIt is the normal practice of the Employment Exchanges, which is being followed in this case, to submit local suitable applicants to vacancies in preference to applicants from other districts. No discrimination against men over 50 years of age who have been long unemployed is made either by the contractors in notifying vacancies or by the Employment Exchange in submitting men to fill these vacancies; the only criterion observed is that the men are capable of performing the work offered. Detailed information with regard to the numbers 685 of men placed on this contract who are aged 50 or more and have been unemployed for more than a year is not available but during the 14 months ended 1st May, 1939, there was a decrease of 276 in the number of such men registered for employment at exchanges in the local recruiting area for this contract. This decrease was almost entirely attributable to the operations at the Glascoed factory.
§ Mr. JenkinsIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in the Glascoed district there are upwards of 1,000 of these men unemployed who have been out of work for more than a year? They are about 50 years of age. Cannot he do something to find employment for them?
§ Mr. BrownThere has been a decrease of 276 in the class of men about whom the hon. Member and I are concerned, and that represents about 40 per cent. of the total number of such men on the register.
§ Mr. JenkinsHave these 276 been employed in the works at Glascoed?
| — | Mansfield. | Sutton-in-Ashfield (including East Kirkby). | |
| (1) | Numbers of Unemployed Men, aged 50 years and over, on the Live Registers. | 1,040 | 1,336 |
| (2) | Numbers of Men, aged 50–64 years, applying for Benefit or Unemployment Allowances included in (1). | 1,014 | 1,291 |
| (3) | Numbers of applicants continuously unemployed for a year or more included in (2). | 405 | 571 |
§ Of the persons who have been on the registers for extended periods, a proportion which will increase as the period on the register increases, will have had one or more short spells of employment lasting not more than three days each during such periods.