48. Lieut.-Commander Clark Hutchisonasked the Minister of Labour how many of the additional 130,000 workers required in the industries producing housing materials and components had been recruited to these industries by 31st December, 1945.
§ The Minister of Labour (Mr. Isaacs)Returns rendered by a substantial proportion of employers in the more important of these industries show that their labour force increased by some 15,000 during the last quarter of 1945.
Lieut.-Commander HutchisonDoes the right hon. Gentleman regard that as being a satisfactory increase, in view of the figure of 130,000 stated to be necessary?
§ Mr. IsaacsThe figure cannot be accepted with any definite accuracy because there is so much overlapping in the various things produced by those firms. Many of them producing those goods s employed on other work. It is difficult to get an accurate figure, but since last quarter there has been a further increase.