§ 5. Mr. Peter Freemanasked the Minister of Labour how many building workers were registered as employed in the building trade in England and Wales separately on 1st January in each of the years from 1932–39 and from 1946–49, and the latest available figures; and how many were registered as unemployed on the same dates.
§ Mr. IsaacsI am having the available information extracted and will send it to my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. FreemanDoes not this information indicate that there were far more unemployed in the building trade before the war and far more employed since the war, and that if this maximum force of building workers had been employed before the war we should not be in the plight for houses in which we find ourselves today?
§ Mr. IsaacsI cannot express an opinion on the facts until I have had the information extracted.
§ Mr. ShurmerDoes he think there ought to be any unemployed building workers in view of the Minister's policy?