§ 1. Mr. G. M. Thomsonasked the Minister of Labour if, for the sake of greater accuracy and clarity, he will discontinue the practice of including replacement vacancies under the National Service Acts in the general total of vacancies notified at the employment exchanges.
§ The Minister of Labour and National Service (Mr. lain Macleod)No, Sir. I have, however, arranged for the number of these vacancies to be recorded separately in the statistics issued by my Department.
§ Mr. ThomsonIs the Minister aware that I am grateful for that answer because these are fake vacancies which are distorting the very important ratio as between unemployment and vacancies? Is he further aware that in Scotland the number of National Service vacancies runs at about 12 per cent. of the total number and alters the ratio of unemployment to vacancies from about 15 to 1 to 18 to 1?
§ Mr. MacleodI would not say that this was faking the vacancies. Men would be released for National Service 362 if workers could be engaged. I agree with the hon. Member to the extent that I am making this change in future when the distinction between the two will be shown by a footnote.