HC Deb 29 November 1927 vol 211 cc284-5W
Mr. B. SMITH

asked the Minister of Labour the respective contributions made during the years 1924, 1925, and 1926 under the Unemployment Insurance Acts by the workers grouped in the "Labour Gazette" as canal, river, docks, and harbour services, and the amount of benefit paid in each of the years in question?

Sir A. STEEL-MAITLAND

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 24th November, 1927; col. 2086, Vol. 210], supplied the following statement:

Definite information as to the contribution paid and benefit received in the canal, river, dock, and harbour service is only obtainable in respect of the dock industry at Liverpool. In the time available it has only been possible to base an estimate of the contributions and benefit of the industry on the Liverpool figures on the assumption that the conditions at Liverpool would not vary very much from the conditions in the rest of the industry.

On this basis the contributions received and benefit paid are as follow:

— Contributions of employers and employed. State contribution. Benefit paid.
£ £ £
1924 562,000 197,000 2,750,000
1925 602,000 216,000 3,600,000
1926 608,000 203,000 3,275,000

The figures can only be regarded as a rough estimate.

Mr. B. SMITH

asked the Minister of Labour the respective contributions made during the years 1924, 1925, and 1926 to the Unemployment Insurance Fund by the men engaged in the following ports: London, Liverpool, Manchester and Salford, Hull, Newcastle, and Glasgow?

Sir A. STEEL-MAITLAND

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 24th November, 1927; col. 2086, Vol. 210], supplied the following statement:

The amounts contributed to the Unemployment Fund in respect of holders of dock tallies in the Port of Liverpool during the years 1924, 1925, and 1926, may be roughly estimated at £60,000, £64,000, and £50,000, respectively, of which rather less than one-half was contributed by the workers. In addition there was an Exchequer contribution of about one-third of the amounts mentioned. The benefit paid during the same years was £294,000, £387,000, and £323,000. I regret that statistics are not available in regard to the other ports mentioned in the question.