§ Mr. SMEDLEY CROOKEasked the Minister of Labour if he can give the total number of persons insured under the Unemployment Act for the year 1924; the total amount paid in benefit during that year or the latest available year; and the estimated amount needed for 1925 or the present financial year?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDThe total number of persons insured under the 2497W Unemployment Insurance Acts during the insurance year 1923-24, which ended on 6th July, 1924, is estimated to have been 11,250,000; and the total amount paid in unemployment benefit during the same period was £ 35,971,411. It is difficult to form a very close estimate of the amount of unemployment benefit which will be paid during the insurance year 1924-25, but, in the absence of any large variation in the rate of unemployment between now and the end of the current insurance year next July, the amount payable is expected to be between £40,000,000 and £ 45,000,000.
§ Mr. CROOKEasked the Minister of Labour the total amount paid into the Unemployment Fund as contributions during 1924 by men and women, employers and State, respectively?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDDuring the insurance year 1923-24, which ended on the 6th July, 1924, the contributions to the Unemployment Fund were approximately as follow:
£ Men and boys 13,723,000 Women and girls 3,580,000 Employers 19,334,500 Exchequer 13,185,000
— 1914. 1919. 1920. 1921. 1922. 1923. 1924. 1925. January … … 510 259 2,338 1,945 2,434 2,976 2,096 2,110 February … … 593 387 2,359 1,844 2,474 2,785 2,073 2,168 March … … 730 816 2,143 1,645 2,497 2,513 1,904 1,988 April … … 423 1,221 2,206 1,512 2,533 2,812 2,120 — May … … 288 1,360 2,164 1,720 2,602 2,782 1,935 — June … … 545 1,297 2,074 1,777 2,750 2,692 1,922 — July … … 438 1,304 2,092 1,890 2,991 2,667 1,869 — August … … 302 1,310 2,277 2,100 3,055 2,478 1,780 — September … … 276 1,248 2,244 2,107 3,039 2,486 1,935 — October … … 156 1,473 2,110 2,178 2,951 2,556 2,005 — November … … 156 2,026 2,124 2,302 2,741 2,686 2,119 — December … … 204 2,433 1,869 2,264 2,815 2,167 2,125 — NOTE.— Owing to the large increase in the numbers insured, due to the passing of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1920, the figures prior to November, 1920, are not strictly comparable with later figures. From January, 1921, the figures include persons working systematic short time in such a manner as to qualify for unemployment insurance benefit.
§ Major HORE-BELISHAasked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of unemployed who have been absorbed in respect of each item of the works, buildings, repairs, etc., in Vote 10, Subhead B, under the heading Devonport Dockyard and Royal Naval Barracks, in the Navy Estimates, 1924-25?
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