HC Deb 30 November 1927 vol 211 cc518-9W
Sir W. de FRECE

asked the Minister of Labour the six chief industries of the country from the point of view of capital invested and workers engaged therein?

Mr. BETTERTON

Out of the 100 industries for which unemployment insurance statistics are obtained the five which include the greatest number of workers are the distributive trades, coalmining, the building industry, general engineering (including engineers' iron and steel founding), and the cotton textile industry. To these five must be added agriculture. I understand from my right hon Friend, the President of the Board of Trade, that except in the case of railways there is no official information as to the amount of capital invested in particular industries in the United Kingdom.