Mr. G. DOYLEasked the Minister of Labour if his attention has been called to the widespread dissatisfaction amongst demobilised Service men at the inefficiency and dilatory methods peculiar to the various Labour Exchanges; if he will give the numbers of those who applied to them for work during the last twelve months and the percentage of those who secured positions; and if, after a nine years' trial, the time has come to examine their work and, H necessary, reform the institution?
§ Sir R. HORNEI am aware that some dissatisfaction has been expressed by ex-Service men with regard to their re-absorption into civilian life; but I cannot admit that this dissatisfaction is justly directed against the Employment Exchanges. The Exchanges have for a long time past (and not only since the Armistice) given special assistance to ex-Service men, through the medium of the local employment committees and otherwise. They approached the previous employers of one and a half million men about to be demobilised, and obtained offers of employment for well over a million men before demobilisation. Further, of the men who registered at the Exchanges for work after demobilisation three out of every ten disabled men, and two out of every nine non-disabled men, have secured employment through the Exchanges during the past twelve months. Considering the handicaps under which the Exchanges have worked since the Armistice, I do not think that their record in this respect calls for further special inquiry. In the recent report of Lord Aberconway's Committee or 1161W the work of the Ministry in relation to unemployment, the work of the staff of the Exchanges is described as on the whole exceedingly good.