§ Captain W. BENNasked the Minister of Labour how many are employed directly or indirectly under the Government schemes for the relief of women unemployment; what is the total number of women employed on short time; and what palliative or remedial measures the Government has in hand?
§ Sir M. BARLOWUnder the scheme for the training of women in homecrafts and allied subjects established by the Central Committee on Women's Training and Employment, which is assisted by the Government, 2,568 women are at present in training, the number of courses in operation being 61. On 31st January, 110,628 women, and in addition 11,295 girls, were claiming benefit in respect of systematic short-time working. No record is available of women and girls working short time in such a manner as not to entitle them to obtain unemployment benefit. There are no other schemes specially directed to the relief of unemployment among women other than the one indicated above, though, of course, the schemes designed by the Government to stimulate trade generally will to some extent increase the opportunity for the employment of women. I would remind my hon. and gallant Friend that there is to-day work in certain directions for women and that during the year 1921 the employment exchanges filled vacancies for 216,742 women and 61,057 girls—a total of 277,799. The details of these placings are contained in the reply, of which I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy, given on Wednesday last to the hon. Member for the Louth Division (Mrs. Wintringham). I would point out that, in addition to the short-time workers above referred to, women and 1739W girls who are wholly unemployed and can satisfy the statutory conditions are entitled to draw unemployment benefit, and on 31st January 310,368 women and, in addition, 24,196 girls were drawing benefit in respect of total unemployment.