§ Mr. Albuasked the Minister of Labour the change in the numbers of persons employed in first preference industries and in the distributive trades during the most recent available twelve-monthly period, and the percentages that those changes represent of the total rise in civil employment during the same period.
§ Mr. IsaacsThe most recent twelve-monthly period for which figures are available runs from mid-1948 to mid-1949. During this period the numbers employed in the first preference industries increased by 44,000. This figure excludes those branches of industries and important individual projects accorded first preference which cannot be separately distinguished in the employment statistics. In the distributive trades the increase was 77,000. These increases represented 20 per cent. and 34 per cent. respectively of the total rise of 225,000 in civil employment during the same period.