§ Sir E. ILIFFEasked the Minister of Transport whether he can give any figures as to the number of unemployed persons, not normally employed in road work, who this winter have been engaged directly, or through the Employment Exchanges or other agency, on road work financed in part out of the Road Fund; and the approximate number of men so employed on the last day of January, 1924?
§ Mr. GOSLINGIn order to carry out necessary work at a time when the depression in general trade leaves a large number of men unemployed, highway authorities in all parts of the country have, during the past winters, considerably extended their normal programmes of road maintenance and improvement, with the assistance of grants from the Road Fund. Owing to the wide distribution of these works, I regret that it is quite impossible to give any figures of the number of unemployed persons, not normally employed in road work, who have been engaged on these works during the past winter. The only figures available are those of men, engaged through the Employment Exchanges, on works of new road construction and major improvements, which have been definitely expedited 2171W with the assistance of grants from the Road Fund, for the relief of unemployment. The average number of men so employed during the past winter has been between 12,000 and 13,000, and the number at the end of January last was 12,027.