HC Deb 21 July 1931 vol 255 cc1265-7W
Mr. HURD

asked the President of the Board of Trade in respect of farmers in England and Wales, the number of receiving orders in bankruptcy made during each month of the current year; the total number made during each of the preceding 30 years; what occupations in the same years showed a higher number of receiving orders; and, if any, what were the number and occupations, respectively?.

Mr. W. GRAHAM

The number of receiving orders made against farmers during each month of the six months of the current year were 16, 19, 32, 14, 20 and 21, respectively. The number of deeds of arrangement executed by farmers during the same months were 26, 32, 26, 17, 15 and 8, respectively, so that the total failures of farmers under both the Bankruptcy and Deeds of Arrangement Acts during those six months have been:

(or highest) number of persons were in receipt of domiciliary relief.

As regards the second part of the question I have obtained the following particulars from the Minister of Labour:

January 42 April 31
February 51 May 35
March 58 June 29

The figures for receiving orders only are not available for the preceding 30 years, but the total numbers of failures of farmers under the Bankruptcy and Deeds of Arrangement Acts have been as follow:—

Year. No. Year. No.
1901 302 1916 78
1902 318 1917 65
1903 307 1918 30
1904 368 1919 33
1905 389 1920 44
1906 318 1921 285
1907 279 1922 403
1908 298 1923 472
1909 310 1924 360
1910 245 1925 368
1911 305 1926 342
1912 336 1927 478
1913 326 1928 462
1914 189 1929 345
1915 132 1930 350

The failures among farmers were exceeded by those of builders in the years 1901 to 1912 inclusive and in the years 1914 to 1916 inclusive and in the year 1929; by those of grocers in the years 1901 to 1920 inclusive and in the years 1929 and 1930; by those of publicans in the years 1901 to 1908 inclusive and in 1910; by those of drapers during the years 1907, 1910, 1916, 1917, 1918 and 1920; by those of bakers in the years 1908 to 1910 inclusive and in the year 1915; by those of Army officers in 1919 and 1920; and by those of bootmakers in 1920. The failures among farmers were higher than those in any other occupation during the years 1921 to 1928 inclusive. The number of failures in the various occupations

Builders. Grocers. Publicans. Drapers. Bakers. Army Officers. Boot-makers.
1901 462 774 374
1902 458 720 363
1903 545 805 338
1904 574 778 398
1905 516 830 395
1906 508 804 380
1907 531 727 336 305
1908 505 724 339 300
1909 367 834 313
1910 394 742 253 330 247
1911 428 594
1912 363 576
1913 526
1914 215 379
1915 192 374 240
1916 112 247 82
1917 171 66
1918 51 33
1919 41 53
1920 113 73 48 61
1929 352 371
1930 370