HC Deb 31 July 1946 vol 426 cc210-1W
133. Mr. W. Shepherd

asked the Minister of Labour the number of people engaged in distribution in the years 1920, 1930 and 1940, respectively.

Mr. Ness Edwards

The available figures relate to persons insured under the Unemployment Insurance Acts. It is estimated that the approximate number of insured persons in Great Britain in employment in the distributive trades at mid-1923, the earliest year for which comparable figures are available, mid-1930 and mid-1940 were 1,140,000, 1,590,000 and 1,880,000. The figures for 1923 and 1930 relate to persons aged 16 and under 65 years, while those for 1940 relate to males aged 14 and under 65 and females aged 14 years and under 60 years.