§ 3. Mr. S. O. Daviesasked the Minister of Labour what were the numbers of unemployed persons in the county borough of Merthyr Tydfil, giving, separately, the figures for men, women, juveniles and those signing the disabled persons register, for the months of January, 1948, July, 1948, and December, 1948; and what percentage of the insurable population do these unemployed figures represent.
§ Mr. IsaacsAs the reply includes a table of figures, I will, if I may, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. DaviesMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether those figures during the last 12 or 18 months show a reduction or an increase? If the latter is the case, will the right hon. Gentleman draw the attention of his fellow Ministers to the frightfully serious unemployment position in Merthyr Tydfil?
§ Mr. IsaacsI am afraid I can only answer the first supplementary question. The figures for January, 1948, were higher than they were at December, 1948. There was a drop in the total by the end of the year.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydAs this tragic figure has occurred in time of full employment, will it make the right hon. Gentleman and others more charitable to those who were responsible for our affairs in South Wales before the war?
§ Mr. IsaacsSo far as my recollection goes, these figures are only a tithe of what they were before the war.
§ Following is the reply:
§ The following table shows for employment exchanges in the county borough of Merthyr Tydfil, (a) the total numbers of
| — | Number of persons registered as unemployed | Registered disabled persons unemployed | ||||||||
| Men 18 and over | Women 18 and over | Young Persons under 18 | Total | Suitable for ordinary employment (included in the total of registered unemployed | Suitable for sheltered employment only (not included in total of registered unemployed) | |||||
| Males | Females | Total | Males | Females | Total | |||||
| January,1948 | 1,988 | 486 | 72 | 2,546 | 893 | 4 | 897 | 81 | 3 | 84 |
| July, 1948 | 1,850 | 397 | 42 | 2,289 | 878 | 8 | 886 | 70 | 2 | 72 |
| December, 1948 | 1,966 | 327 | 58 | 2,351 | 866 | 11 | 877 | 62 | 1 | 63 |
| The total numbers of registered unemployed persons at the three dates represent about 10 percent. of the number of insurance cards issued to employees at employment exchanges in Merthyr Tydfll. |
§ 8. Mr. S. O. Daviesasked the Minister of Labour how many able-bodied unemployed persons have left Merthyr Tydfil since July, 1945, to take up employment in other parts of the country under the temporary transfer scheme.
§ Mr. IsaacsOne hundred and six men and 25 women. Of these all but 19 men and six women have now returned to the home area.
§ Mr. DaviesMay I ask the Minister whether really serious attention is being paid to the temporary transfer scheme, in view of the fact that it is known locally that several times the number of persons that he has mentioned this afternoon have been compelled to leave their constituency because of absence of employment in their own locality; and will he stress on the employment exchange that this temporary transfer scheme must cover any person compelled to leave?
§ Mr. IsaacsThe temporary transfer scheme has no element of compulsion in it. It is entirely optional. It is working satisfactorily as is evidenced by the fact that 26 men and four women who have returned home took up local employment found for them under the conditions under which they registered.
§ Mr. DaviesDoes my right hon. Friend know that unemployed persons, and men in particular, are compelled to leave that district every week? I should like to have some record that his Department has the number who are compelled to leave.
§ persons registered as unemployed in January, July and December, 1948, and (b) the numbers of registered disabled persons unemployed in the same months.
§ Mr. IsaacsIf the hon. Member will put down a Question I will see if it is possible to find out which men are compelled, and by whom they are compelled.