§ Mr. ANDERSONasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the latest number of women and girls on the live registers of the Labour Exchange and the number of women still on the special war service register; and whether women relinquishing employment in occupations not essential to the national interest in response to Press appeals have any guarantee of obtaining suitable employment in work of primary importance to the nation?
Mr. RUNCIMANThe total number of women and girls on the ordinary live registers of the Labour Exchanges, at 11th February, was 88,866. The number of women still on the special war service register at the same date was 54,009. No1922W general guarantee of the kind referred to in the latter part of the question can be given, and it is therefore important that women should not relinquish their existing employment before securing definite engagement on war work. It is not necessary for women to relinquish their existing employment in order to register at a Labour Exchange, and there is no reason to suppose that they are doing so to any considerable extent. Most of the women on the special register, and about one-third of those on the ordinary registers, are either unemployed or have not previously been employed.