Mr. STOREYasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, as to the Report on Trade Unions printed in the "Board of Trade Labour Gazette" for December, 1906, he can state or issue the complementary figures for 1906, 1907, 1908, and 1909" for the tables on pages 352 and 353, so as to bring these tables up to date?
§ Mr. SYDNEY BUXTONThe figures required for 1906 appeared in the "Board of Trade Labour Gazette" for December, 1907, and those for 1907 in the same journal for May, 1909. A full report (Cd. 4651) on trade union statistics, dealing in detail with the figures for 1905–07 was published in May, 1909. I am sending copies of these documents to my hon. Friend. The corresponding statistics for 1908 will appear in the April number of the "Board of Trade Labour Gazette." Those for 1909 will, I fear, not be available for some little time.
§ Mr. GRETTONasked the President of the Board of Trade if any reports are available which account for the large reduction in the membership of those trade unions upon whose returns the monthly reports on employment are made; and, if so, whether he will lay copies of those reports upon the Table of the House?
§ Mr. BUXTONThere has been no such reduction as is stated in the question. The number of members of trade unions covered by the Returns for January last was 694,456. The average number included in the monthly Returns for 1909 was 679,600, and for 1908, 677,400. The membership830W of the unions covered by the Returns fluctuates slightly from month to month, but on the whole it has been remarkably steady.