Captain HUDSONasked the Minister of Labour if she will supply complete quarterly average figures of wages, employment, and unemployment, for the years 1926, 1927, 1928, and for the second quarter of 1929, respectively, in the gas mantle industry?
§ Miss BONDFIELDI regret that information is not available as to average wages in the years specified nor as to the numbers or proportions of workers unemployed, this industry not being separately distinguished in the statistics of unemployment amongst workpeople insured against unemployment. I am informed, however, by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade, that particulars supplied to his Department by the trade association concerned, relating to firms which are claimed to be responsible for about 95 per cent. of the output of the whole industry show the following average weekly numbers of workers employed:
Year. Average weekly numbers employed. Whole year. Second quarter of year. 1927 1,861 1,760 1928 1,907 1,791 1929 1,780 1,666 The information available for 1926 is not, I am informed, comparable in scope with that for later periods.