§ 69. Mr. Perrinsasked the Minister of Labour if he will state for the latest convenient date the number of persons registered as unemployed on the employment exchange register in Birmingham, with details as to the numbers of unemployed in the various trades affected.
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsA count of the unemployed was made on 15th October, and I will send the figures to my hon. Friend as soon as they are available.
§ Mr. PerrinsWould the hon. Gentleman take care that no more men are thrown on the labour market while we have this pool of unemployed available?
§ Mr. EdwardsI will certainly bear that point in mind.
§ Captain PrescottIf figures of this kind can be given for Birmingham, why cannot they be given for the whole country?
§ Mr. EdwardsIt is very easy to extract figures in this form for one place—much easier than to provide, duplicate and print figures for the whole country—which is in process of being done.
§ Captain PrescottWhen will they be supplied?
§ 73. Captain Draysonasked the Minister of Labour if he will empower managers of local labour exchanges to give figures of current unemployment in their localities to their local urban district councils, without first having to refer the matter to regional headquarters.
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsAt present statistics of unemployment are published at quarterly intervals, and employment exchange managers already have authority to communicate the figures for their respective areas to local authorities who require them.