§ Mr. STEPHENasked the Minister of Labour the total number of workpeople engaged in the productive industry of this country which is to receive de-rating advantages under the Local Government Bills at present before Parliament to the latest available date this year, last year, and 1924, respectively?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDI presume the hon. Member refers to the Rating and Valuation (Apportionment) Act of last year. The only figures which I am able to give relate to industrial heredita- 2345W ments, in which it is estimated that the total numbers of insured workpeople aged 16 to 64 were as follow:
January, 1924 … … 7,646,000 January, 1928 … … 7,844,000 January, 1929 … … 7,880,000 These figures include not only work-people employed in factories and workshops, but also administrative and clerical staffs and persons in each industry engaged in transport, warehousing, and similar duties. In the case of the building trade, they include all insured persons in the industry, and not merely those who work in builders' workshops. The industries to which the figures relate are the 2346W 100 industries shown each month in the unemployment tables published in the "Ministry of Labour Gazette" with the exception or the following: —Fishing; public works contracting; gas, water and electricity supply; railway service; tramway and omnibus service; 'read transport not separately specified; shipping service; canal, river, dock, and harbour service; transport, communication, and storage not separately specified; distributive trades; commercial, banking, insurance, and finance; national government; local government; professional services; entertainments and sports; hotel, boarding house and club services.