§ Commander O. LOCKER-LAMPSONasked the Minister of Labour the amount of money spent under all heads upon unemployment during each year since 1919, and the average number of persons unemployed under all heads for the same years.
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLAND,pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 13th February, 1929; col. 398, Vol. 225], supplied the following:
The information desired, so far as it is readily available, is hereafter given.
815W
I.—STATEMENT showing the Approximate Amonnt of (a) Unemployment Benefit (b) Out of Work Donation and (c) Poor Law Relief to Able-bodied Persons and their Dependants, for each Year since 1918:— Year. Unemployment Benefit.† Out of Work Donation (Ex-Service and Civilian).‡ Poor Law Relief in money or kind to able-bodied persons and their Dependants.§ Calendar Year. Year ended 31st March. Year ended 31st March. £ £ £ 1918 … … … 84,000 — Not available* 1919 … … … 423,000 13,255,000 1920 … … … 2,216,000 36,704,000 1921 … … … 58,546,000 11,923,000 500,000 1922 … … … 47,932,000 544,000 8,663,000 1923 … … … 39,366,000 21,000 11,717,000 1924 … … … 37,874,000 1,000 8,340,000 1925 … … … 45,815,000 — 5,459,000 1926 … … … 50,187,000 — 7,313,000 1927 … … … 36,750,000 — 17,350,000 1928 … … … 44,270,000 — 8,500,000 Nine months to 3lst December, 1928. — — 4,880,000 * Separate figures for payments to able-bodied persons were not kept for this period, the payments being included in the relief paid to all classes of the poor, including sick, aged, widows, etc., which from the Armistice to 31st March, 1920, amounted to £33,513,000. † Includes Great Britain and Ireland to December, 1921. Great Britain and Ireland (excluding Northern Ireland), January, 1921 to March, 1922. Great Britain only from April, 1922. ‡ The figures given are for the United Kingdom. The money was provided wholly by the Exchequer. § These figures relate to Great Britain only. 816W817W
II.—STATEMENT showing the approximate Expenditure from the Exchequer in respect of Training, etc., and provision of work for unemployed persons from the Armistice to 31st December, 1928. Item. Amount. (1) Training of demobilised officers and men of H.M. Forces, also ex-Service nurses and war widows (comprises expenditure by Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Pensions, Board of Education, Scottish Education Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Board of Agriculture (Scotland)) £ 37,709,000 (a) (2) Training of unemployed young men, women and juveniles 1,623,000 (b) (3) Unemployed Grants Committee: Grants 14,128,000 (c) (4) Ministry of Transport: Grants 9,395,000 (d) (5) Land Settlement: Grants 9,686,000 (d) (6) Miscellaneous: Land Drainage, etc.: Grants 1,712,000 (d) Total Exchequer Payments £74,253,000 In addition unemployment works were assisted by payments out of the Road Fund of approximately £27,591,000 during this period 27,591,000 (d) Total payments from Exchequer and Road Fund £101,844,000 (a) Includes expenditure on training services administered in Ireland by the Ministries of Labour and Pensions throughout the period. (b) Includes expenditure in Ireland on the training of women as follows:— Northern Ireland, to December, 1921. Irish Free State, to March, 1922. (c) Includes expenditure in Ireland up to the dates shown in footnote (b). (d) Great Britain only.
III.—STATEMENT showing the approximate average number of persons registered at local offices of the Ministry of Labour in Great Britain as unemployed in each year since 1919. Year ended 31st March. Average Number of Persons Registered as Unemployed.* 1920 … … 642,601 1921 … … 589,932 1922 … … 1,938,758 1923 … … 1,436,523 1924 … … 1,235,352 1925 … … 1,146,629 1926 … … 1,214,026 1927 … … 1,431,539 1928 … … 1,083,964 Nine months ended 31st December, 1928 … … 1,260,585 * For 1920 and 1921 the figures represent the average of the first Monday in each month. From 1922 onwards they represent the average of each Monday in the period.