§ Major ELLIOTasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) briefly the data upon which Sir Richard Hopkins based his figure of the conjectural cost of transitional benefit, during the year commencing l6t April, 1931, as £35,000,000 to £40,000,000, or even more, as given in evidence before the Royal Commission on Unemployment Insurance; and whether in view of the time that has elapsed since this evidence was prepared, he is able to give any closer figure;
(2) briefly the data upon which the Memorandum on the Financial Resolution relative to unemployment insurance of 11th February, 1931 (Cmd. 3788) estimates the cost to the Exchequer of transitional benefit under the existing legislation, as increased by the acceptance of the Resolution, to be £30,000,000; and whether he will give estimates of the probable cost to the Exchequer if the full operation of transitional benefit were continued till the end of December, 1031, and till the end of the present financial year, respectively?
§ Mr. P. SN0WDENThe forecast of £35,000,000 to £40,000,000 or even more, to which reference is made in the first question, was the conjectural cost if the 825W transitional period had been extended throughout the financial year commencing 1st April, 1931. It was necessarily based, not on precise data, but upon the trend of current expenditure, and, as was stated to the Commission, the higher figure envisaged the possible range of cost in the event of the industrial situation further deteriorating. The estimate of £30,000,000 given in the Memorandum on the Financial Resolution (Command Paper 3788) for the cost in 1931–2, of extending the transitional period to October, 1931, was framed upon a similar basis. The corresponding estimates, had the transitional period been extended to 31st December, 1931, or 31st March, 1932, are £33,500,000 and £35,000,000 respectively. I cannot at present give any closer figures.