§ 36. Mr. Collinsasked the Minister of Labour to state, at the latest convenient date, the number of furniture workers unemployed and the number on short time.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodThe number of persons last employed in the furniture and upholstery industry registered as wholly unemployed in Great Britain at 15th April was 1,988. The number of operatives on short time at firms in the industry which rendered returns for the week ended 30th March was 3,700 but reports from my regional controllers indicate that there has been some increase since then.
§ Mr. CollinsIs the Minister aware that this is the third successive year in which there has been considerable unemployment in the furniture industry, and that currently it is rapidly getting worse, despite the fact that many have left the industry? Will he get in touch with his right hon. Friends the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the President of the Board of Trade to see if they can do something to bring about an improvement?
§ Mr. MacleodI think that the unemployment figures which I have given are rather better than comparable figures of a year ago, which is unusual in most trades. Actually, these figures are rather out of date, as my Answer indicated. I 1389 will have some more recent figures very soon, and perhaps I can send those to the hon. Gentleman, and consider his supplementary question in the light of them.