Mr. WEST RUSSELLasked the Minister of Labour if she can give the number of British seamen out of employment now and at the end of June last at all the chief ports in the country; and whether, if these show a decline in employment, she can state the causes productive of such a result?
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§ Miss BONDFIELDThe total numbers of wholly unemployed seamen on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Great Britain on 24th June, 1929, and 24th March, 1930, were 15,150 and 22,346, respectively. Separate figures for British seamen are not available.
The figures for each of the chief ports were as follow:—
— 24th June, 1929. 24th March, 1930. London (including Chatham, Tilbury and Gravesend). 1,789 2,111 Bristol 159 318 Plymouth 220 216 Southampton 596 1,006 Blyth 68 143 The Hartlepools 190 248 Hull 441 689 Middlesbrough 85 150 Newcastle-on-Tyne 195 319 North and South Shields 1,221 2,051 Sunderland 316 446 Birkenhead 358 408 Liverpool 4,872 5,843 Salford 254 350 Glasgow Area 826 1,559 Leith 225 316 Greenock 141 156 Aberdeen 56 89 Barry (Glam.) 226 461 Cardiff 810 1,506 Newport (Mon.) 213 392 Swansea 282 399 Penarth 44 74 There is usually an increase in unemployment among seamen in the winter months from seasonal causes and this normal trend has probably been accentuated in recent months by trade depression which has particularly affected overseas trade.