§ Mr. WORTHINGTON EVANSasked the President of the Board of Trade how many workmen are now insured against unemployment under the National Insurance Act; on what basis the number is calculated; and the number of 5s. stamps sold in each of any six recent months?
Mr. ROBERTSONThe estimated number of workpeople insured against unemployment under the National Insurance Act, 1911, at 25th April, 1914, was 2,284,903. This figure is obtained by taking the number of unemployment books which were issued to workpeople during the year 1912–13, and exchanged on or after the end of that insurance year, and adding to it the number of new unemployment books issued to workpeople since that date and still remaining un-cancelled. The total value of all stamps issued for the purpose of paying unemployment insurance contributions in each of the last six months of 1913 is as follows:—
£ July … … … … 188,806 August … … … … 135,079 September … … … … 131,475 October … … … … 177,326 November … … … … 129,908 December … … … … 137,608 This includes stamps of all denominations. It is not possible to give the numbers of stamps of each denomination separately, but I may say that there is no unemployment insurance stamp of the value of 5s.