§ Mr. AMERYasked the Secretary to the Board of Trade whether the £712,000,000 given in the Census of Production as the value of the net output of the work of 7,000,000 workers includes profits, interest, royalties, management, provision for depreciation or replacement of machinery, insurance, and advertising, as well as rates and taxes; if so, can he give any estimate as to the amount to be deducted for these items in order to arrive at the amount available for distribution in the shape of wages?
Mr. ROBERTSONThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The Board of Trade are not in possession of information as to the amounts of the several items chargeable against the net output of industry.
§ Mr. AMERYasked the Secretary to the Board of Trade what is the value of the net output of the coal-mining industry, the cotton industry, the iron and steel industry, and the engineering industry respectively; what number of workers are employed in each of these industries; and what profits or royalties have been returned for Income Tax in each of these industries?
Mr. ROBERTSONThe value of the net output and the average numbers employed, as shown in the Preliminary Tables summarising the results of the Returns received under the Census of Production Act, 1906, were as follows in 1907:—
— Net Output. Average number employed. £ Mines under the Coal Mines Regulation Acts 106,364,000 840,280 Cotton Factories 46,941,000 572,869 Iron and Steel Factories (Smelting, Founding and Rolling) 30,948,000 262,225 Engineering Factories' (including Electrical Engineering) 49,425,000 455,561 * Marine Engineering carried on in connection with Shipbuilding, Engineering work done by Railway Companies, and Heating, Ventilating and Sanitary Engineering are not included. Returns have, in some cases, been made separately to the Census of Production Office for works included in one or other 750W of the above classes by firms also conducting other businesses and not returning their profits for Income Tax purposes in corresponding separate items. With regard to profits and royalties, I must refer the hon. Member to the published reports of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue, but it must be borne in mind that the Inland Revenue figures do not necessarily cover the same ground as those of the Census of Production.