§ Mr. H. WILLIAMSasked the Minister of Labour the present weekly income and expenditure of the Unemployment Fund, and also the extent to which the income has been reduced by the operations of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1925; and, assuming that the ratio of persons in receipt of benefit to the total on the live register continues as at present, at what figure the numbers on the live register should stand for the income and expenditure to balance?
§ Mr. BETTERTONThe present weekly income and expenditure of the Unemployment Fund are approximately £825,000 and £900,000. During the present quarter a reduction in the contributions of employers and employed, in accordance with the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1925, has become operative,
Industry Group. Estimated Number of Insured Persons at 1st July, 1925. Number of Persons recorded as Unemployed at 25th January, 1926. Coal mining* 1,240,120 125,669 Pig-iron manufacture (blast furnaces) 25,770 5,091 Steel melting and iron puddling furnaces 200,020 44,137 Iron and steel rolling mills and forges Engineering, engineers' iron and steel founding. 619,810 76,351 Electrical engineering 76,510 4,929 Marine engineering, etc. 56,050 13,372 Constructional engineering 26,100 3,150 Construction and repair of motor vehicles, cycles and aircraft. 213,210 14,098 Cotton 576,540 47,339 Shipbuilding and ship repairing 223,110 82,555 * The total number of wage earners on colliery books at 30th January, 1926, as shown by returns obtained by the Mines Department, was 1,099,694. The aggregate amount of salaries and wages in the coalmining industry in Great Britain in 1925 s estimated by the Mines Department at about £151,000,000. I am unable to state the aggregate wages in the other industries mentioned.
Captain O'CONNORasked the Minister of Labour the total number of persons employed in each of the following industries up to the latest convenient date:
340Wamounting to about £145,000 a week. The live register figure for which income and expenditure would balance is dependent on a number of varying factors, including the relative proportions of men and women unemployed; but during the present quarter the figure would be about 1,070,000.
Captain O'CONNORasked the Minister of Labour the total number of persons employed in each of the following industries, for the latest convenient date: coal mining, iron and steel, engineering, cotton and shipbuilding; the numbers unemployed in these industries on the same date; and the total aggregate wages paid in each industry per week?
§ Mr. BETTERTONThe estimated numbers of persons in Great Britain insured under the Unemployment Insurance Acts at 1st July, 1925, the latest date for which an estimate can be made, and the numbers of insured persons recorded as unemployed at 25th January, 1926, in the several industries specified, are shown in the table below:
railways, municipal undertakings, tobacco manufacture, brewing, clothing manufacture and boot-making; the numbers unemployed in these industries on the same date; and the total aggregate of wages paid in each industry per week?
§ Mr. BETTERTONThe estimated numbers of persons in Great Britain insured under the Unemployment Insurance Acts at 1st July, 1925—the latest date for which an estimate can be made 341W and the numbers of insured persons recorded as unemployed at 25th January,
Industry Group. Estimated Number of Insured Persons at 1st July, 1925. Number of Persons recorded as Unemployed at 25th January, 1926. Railway service* 167,160 11,714 Local Government Service* (excluding gas, water, electricity tramway, etc., undertakings†). 251,970 23,587 Tobacco, cigar, cigarette and snuff manufacture. 41,870 1,748 Drink 110,540 6,883 Clothing:— Tailoring 191,350 25,318 Dress and mantle making and millinery 103,520 9,692 Hat and cap (including straw plait) manufacture. 34,150 2,580 Blouses, shirts, collars, under-clothing, etc., making. 54,740 3,116 Other dress 28,410 2,681 Boot, shoe, slipper and clog trades 143,600 12,329 * Persons employed by local public authorities, railways and certain other public utility undertakings and certain other persons with rights under a statutory superannuation scheme may, in certain circumstances be excepted from the scope of the U.I. Acts, and if so excepted are not included in the figures. † Figures are available for gas, water and electricity and road transport services (except as stated in * above) but they do not distinguish between private and municipal control. The aggregate of wages and salaries paid by the railway companies of Great Britain in the year ended 29th March, 1924, was £119,827,000, the number of wage-earning and salaried railway employes at that date being 667,700. I am unable to state the aggregate wages in the other industries mentioned.