Dr. DAVIESasked the Minister of Labour (1) if she will give, for the last 12 months for which statistics are available, the amount of contributions re- 919W ceived from employers and employées in the cotton trade, the amount of benefits paid, and the extent to which the workers in employment are paying for those unemployed;
(2) the number of unemployed in the cotton industry for each month from June, 1929, showing the number of men, married women, and single women, the monthly average of unemployment pay
Date. Men. Boys. Women. Girls. Total. 1929. 24th June … … 23,680 998 49,874 1,492 76,044 22nd July … … 24,782 876 52,954 1,517 80,129 26th August … … 26,157 932 53,791 1,460 82,340 23rd September … … 21,392 546 47,063 1,153 70,154 21st October … … 21,610 642 44,210 1,164 67,626 25th November … … 23,320 671 48,316 1,268 73,575 16th December … … 24,925 901 52,240 1,566 79,632 1930. 27th January … … 34,977 1,357 71,601 2,807 110,742 24th February … … 42,415 1,893 86,543 3,453 134,304 24th March … … 46,200 2,094 98,446 3,475 150,215 28th April … … 50,829 2,132 113,145 4,305 170,411 26th May … … 64,372 3,009 143,787 5,862 217,030 23rd June … … 70,237 3,026 154,669 6,256 234,188 Separate figures in respect of married and single women are not available for each month, but it is estimated that at 7th July, 1930, there were approximately 80,000 insured married women classified as belonging to the cotton industry recorded as unemployed. Statistics of benefit and contributions are not kept in respect of separate industries. As regards the state of what is described in the question as the transitional benefit fund, I should explain that there is no separate fund for this purpose. Transitional benefit is paid out of the Unemployment Fund, and the amount so paid is made good to the Fund by the Exchequer.