Viscountess ASTORasked the Minister of Agriculture what number of the population are estimated to have been engaged in agriculture in Great Britain for the past 10 decennial periods?
§ Mr. GREENWOODI have been asked to reply. While some figures of agricul- 51W tural population are furnished by each Census back to 1831, the basis adopted in the earlier years appears to have produced results bearing little comparison with those of subsequent Censuses. Figures are given below for England and Wales for the years back to 1851; but it should be borne in mind that even with-
TABLE showing number of persons employed in Agriculture in England and Wales according to the Censuses 1851–1921. 1851. 1861. 1871. 1881. 1891. 1901. 1911. 1921. 1,709,905 1,652,658 1,456,028 1,351,811 1,285,146 1,197,722 1,297,223 1,237,414