§ 12. Mr Saltasked the Minister of Labour the number of Irishmen of military age both from Southern and Northern Ireland who are registered as being employed in the Birmingham area, and, as large numbers of these men are exempt from the Military Service Acts, will be discourage their employment inasmuch as they are taking the places of men called up for military service?
§ Mr. E. BrownI regret that statistics giving the information asked for in the first part of the Question are not available. As regards the second part of the Question it is the practice when vacancies 2222 are notified to Employment Exchanges for first consideration to be given to local applicants or to applicants whose homes are within daily travelling distance of the job, and afterwards, as far as practicable, to suitably qualified persons in other areas in this country.