§ Mr. COMPTONasked the Minister of Agriculture if he can give the figures of foreign fish landings in this country during the year 1913, and for each year from 1919 to 1925?
Mr. GUINNESSThe quantity and value of fish imported into the United Kingdom in the undermentioned years are as follow:
§ 7. Sir A. STEEL-MAITLAND, pursuant to his reply [OIFICIAL REPORT, 18th November, 1925, col. 410] supplied the. following statement:
Firms on the Roll.
The present number of firms on the King's National Roll is approximately 2709W 28,000. There have been removals from, and additions to, the Roll during the last year, but the net number has remained practically constant. Removals from the Roll are due, in the main, to the inability of small firms to maintain their quota of disabled ex-service men. It is interesting to note that the total number of disabled ex-service men employed by firms on the Roll has gradually increased from approximately 350,000 at the beginning of 1925 to approximately 365,000 at the present date. This increase
2710W
LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND THE KING'S NATIONAL ROLL. Local Authorities. Number which are on the Roll. Number not on Roll which on present information may be regarded as employing too small a staff to be reasonably expected to enrol. Number no on Roll which might reasonably be expected to enrol. Total number of Local Authorities. 1. 2. 3. 4. ENGLAND. London:* County Council 1 — — 1 Corporation of the City of London. 1 — — 1 Metropolitan Boroughs 28 — — 28 Boards of Guardians 24 — 1 25 Totals 54 — 1 55 Provinces: County Councils 47 — 3 50 County Boroughs 79 — — 79 Town Councils 182 28 15 225 Urban District Councils 434 214 71 719 Rural District Councils 179 148 252 579 Boards of Guardians 173 156 225 554 Totals 1,094 546 566 2,206 WALES. County Councils 7 — 5 12 County Boroughs 3 — — 3 Town Councils 20 6 1 27 Urban District Councils 29 29 3 61 Rural District Councils 14 35 18 67 Boards of Guardians 12 22 13 47 Totals 85 92 40 217 SCOTLAND. County Councils 14 15 4 33 County District Committees 42 22 35 99 Town Councils 78 94 30 202 Parish Councils 14 930 16 960 Education Authorities 8 — 29 37 Totals 156 1,061 114 1,331 GRAND TOTALS 1,389 1,699 721 3,809 * The Metropolitan Asylums Board are also on the Roll. is due partly to the enrolment of large concerns (e.g., railway companies) and partly to increased staff employed by enrolled firms, which entails, under the percentage scheme, the employment of an increased number of disabled ex-service men.
Local Authorities.
As regards local authorities and the Roll, there have also been fluctuations during the last year. The following table gives the present position:
2711WIt will be seen that the number of local authorities who might reasonably be expected to enrol and who are not, in fact, on the Roll has now been reduced to 721. This balance includes only the smaller authorities throughout the country, with the exception of a relatively small number of county councils and town councils.
Royal Warrant Holders.
Out of 1,134 firms holding the Royal Warrant, 616 were on the Roll at the beginning of 1925. This number has now been increased to 632; 365 of the remainder, however, either employ too small a staff, or are engaged in too specialised an industry to be reasonably expected to enrol. The balance of non-enrolled holders of the Royal Warrant is, therefore, 137.
Public Utility Companies.
An appeal has recently been addressed by the King's Roll National Council to a number of companies engaged in the provision of public services (e.g., electricity, gas, water, etc.). The present position is that, out of 418 important concerns of this nature throughout the country, 228 are on the Roll and negotiations are proceeding with regard to enrolment in a number of the remaining companies.
Local Committees.
The local administration of the King's National Roll is carried out by local King's Roll Committees set up on the recommendation of the Select Committee on the training and employment of disabled ex-service men. There are 254 committees carrying out this work throughout the country. The Minister of Labour has recently invited newly-appointed heads of municipalities to preside over the local King's Roll Committee in their area for their year of office. These invitations have met with a ready response.
King's Roll National Council.
The work of these local committees is co-ordinated by the King's Roil National Council under the chairmanship of Field-Marshal Earl Haig, and the Council have supplemented the work of local committees by direct appeal in the case of local authorities, Royal warrant holders, public utility companies, and in 2712W other directions have taken whatever steps possible to keep this problem before those most able to assist.
Restriction of Contracts to Firms on the Roll.
The restriction of Government contracts to firms on the King's National Roll has had a considerable effect in maintaining the number of enrolled firms at its present figure. The Minister of Labour has recently announced that the Government propose to ask Parliament to pass a Resolution definitely laying down the existing practice of restricting Government contracts to firms on the Roll.
At the present date 543 local authorities, as against 513 at the beginning of the year, follow the Government practice in this matter, and it is hoped that a larger number will do so in the future.