1. Mr. W. Joseph Stewartasked the Minister of Labour the number of persons that have been placed in employment by Government schemes in Durham and South Wales, respectively, since 1932?
§ The Minister of Labour (Mr. Ernest Brown)I assume the hon. Member has in mind the areas of Durham and Tyneside and South Wales, now classified as Special Areas. In addition to the benefits which have accrued to these areas from the Government's general industrial policy, the Government have taken special steps not only by the placing of factories and contracts in the Special Areas, but also through the Special Commissioner to attract new industries to the areas and to rehabilitate the social services. Statistics are not available as to the number of persons that have been placed in employment by these schemes, but it is estimated that in April of this year the number of insured persons in employment in both areas had increased by about 30 per cent. as compared with the corresponding date in 1932.
Mr. StewartDo these figures take into account the number who have found employment under trading schemes?