HC Deb 18 March 1937 vol 321 cc2278-80W
Major Owen

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the number of agricultural workers in each of the six North Wales counties who have registered under the Agricultural Workers Insurance Act?

Mr. J. Griffiths

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can state the number of persons registered under the provisions of the Unemployment Insurance (Agriculture) Act, 1936, in each of the following counties: Carmarthen, Cardigan, Pembroke, Brecon, Radnor, and Glamorgan; and what was the number of such persons unemployed in each county, respectively, on the last available date?

Mr. E. Brown

Estimates of the total numbers insured under the agricultural scheme, compiled on the normal basis, will not be available until after the general exchange of unemployment books which will begin in July next. The only figures so far available for each county are those showing the numbers of agricultural unemployment books issued up to the end of August, 1936, and these figures exclude private gardeners, who were brought into insurance as from 1st February, 1937.

The approximate figures for the counties referred to are as follow:

Anglesey 1,650
Caernarvonshire 2,150
Denbighshire 2,850
Flintshire 950
Merionethshire 1,200
Montgomeryshire 2,250
Carmarthenshire 2,350
Cardiganshire 2,750
Pembrokeshire 2,450
Brecknockshire 1,500
Radnorshire 850
Glamorganshire 3,250

The number of persons insured under the agricultural scheme (excluding private gardeners) recorded as unemployed at 22nd February, 1937, at Employment Exchanges in the six counties of South Wales were:

Numbers and percentages of insured persons, aged 16–64, in the undermentioned industries recorded as unemployed in Great Britain at 25th January and 22nd February, 1037.
Industry. 25th January, 1937. 22nd February, 1937.
Number Per cent. Number Per cent.
Construction and repair of motor vehicles, cycles and aircraft. 16,319 5.2 13,960 4.5
Manufacture and repair of boots, shoes, slippers and clogs. 17,146 12.8 14,191 10.6
Hosiery 10,976 9.3 10,640 9.0
Silk manufacture and artificial silk weaving 5,256 10.6 4,838 9.7
Artificial silk yarn manufacture 3,052 10.1 2,971 9.8
General engineering, etc. 36,085 6.5 33,959 6.1
Printing, publishing and bookbinding 20,996 7.6 19,994 7.2

Separate figures are not available for the manufacture, as distinguished from the repair, of boots, shoes, etc.; for artificial silk weaving; or for light engineering and machine tools.

Carmarthenshire 143
Cardiganshire 163
Pembrokeshire 168
Brecknockshire 45
Radnorshire 11
Glamorganshire 268