HC Deb 04 April 1935 vol 300 cc545-6W
Mr. McENTEE

asked the Minister of Labour what was the number of men registered as in the building trades group in 1913–1918 and 1923–1928, and in the last year for which figures are available; and what numbers were registered as carpenters and joiners and as bricklayers in each of those years?

Mr. STANLEY

The following table shows the estimated numbers of persons aged 16 years and over in the building industry in Great Britain who were insured under Part II of the National Insurance Act, 1911, in the years 1913 to 1918:

End of Insurance

Year.
1913–14 776,400
1914–15 640,500
1915–16 481,600
1916–17 427,800
1917–18 442,300

The figures relate to manual workers only, since non-manual workers were not insurable under the Act of 1911. Statistics are not available as to the numbers of carpenters and joiners, or of bricklayers, included in these totals.

The estimated numbers of insured persons in the building industry classification in Great Britain in the years 1923 to 1928 and 1934 were as shown below. The figures for the years 1923 to 1927 relate to insured persons aged 16 years and over, those for 1928 and 1934 to persons aged 16–64.

Year (beginning of July). All occupations Carpenters and Joiners. Brick-layer
1923 703,250 109,000 62,600
1924 713,530 110,600 63,500
1925 745,450 112,050 64,410
1926 789,560 123,950 71,270
1927 833,940 131,670 74,410
1928 802,200 124,220 72,810
1934 911,340 134,410 85,360

In view of the extensions in the scope of the unemployment insurance scheme which were effected by the Act of 1920, the figures given for the years 1923–1934 are not comparable with those for the years 1913–1918.