§ Mr. Kennedyasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he can state the number of workers employed and unemployed in the agricultural industry in Scotland at the end of April, 1909, April, 1919, April, 1929, and April, 1939, respectively?
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§ Mr. ColvilleThe numbers of persons employed in agriculture in Scotland, as returned on the 4th June, 1921, 1929 and 1938—the nearest dates to those mentioned in the question for which information is available—were as follow:
Comparable figures for 1909 are not available. The return for 4th June, 1908, showed a total of 212,000; but this total included the wives of occupiers of agricultural holdings, who are excluded in the totals for 1921, 1929 and 1938 which I have quoted.
1921 … … … 127,000 1929 … … 118,000 1938 … … … 104,300 As regards unemployment, returns are not available for the period prior to the inception of the Agricultural Scheme of Unemployment Insurance in May, 1936. The number of persons insured under the scheme who were unemployed was 6,463 at the 13th June, 1938.