§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDasked the Minister of Labour what addition to the live register it is estimated will be made owing to the present Unemployment Insurance Act in respect of persons who, though previously unemployed, were not on the live register?
§ Miss BONDFIELDIt is not possible at present to make a precise estimate of the numbers of persons now unemployed who are likely to be added to the live register when the Unemployment Insurance Bill now before Parliament comes into force. The White Paper, Cmd. 3453, contains in paragraph 7, an estimate of the approximate number of persons now disqualified who would not be disqualified under the Bill. Of the total given it is probable that a number in the neighbourhood of 80,000 are now on the register, leaving a balance of about 70,000 not now on the register who may be expected to renew their claims. In addition, there are the classes referred to in paragraph 8 of the White Paper, which may bring the total up to 100,000, but this must be to a large extent a matter for conjecture.