§ 27. Mr. Rileyasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether a Labour Department is now established and functioning in Jamaica; and whether he can state, approximately, the number of unemployed persons in Kingston, Jamaica?
§ Sir T. InskipNo, Sir. The delay is due to the difficulty of finding a suitable Labour Officer, as to which I would refer to the reply given to the hon. Members for South Cardiff (Captain A.Evans) and Blackburn (Sir W. Smiles) on 15th March. In the absence of official statistics I am unable to give a definite figure of unemployed persons in Kingston, but I understand that the number is estimated at from 12,000 to 14,000.
§ Mr. RileyIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that I asked about a Labour Department and not a Labour adviser; further, that when a register was opened some weeks ago in Kingston for unemployed, 15,000 persons registered; and whether he does not think, in those circumstances, that some system of unemployment insurance should be set up?
§ Sir T. InskipThe figures which the hon. Gentleman gave do not correspond to the information I have. An attempt was made to obtain satisfactory statistics of the number of unemployed persons, but for reasons which are a matter of doubt it was not possible to complete the investigation.
§ Mr. Robert GibsonWould the right hon. Gentleman give us the competing figures?
§ Sir T. InskipThey are 12,000 and 14,000.