§ Mr. HEPWORTHasked the Minister of Labour whether, seeing that the average 233W cost of putting a man to work on relief works for a year has been computed to be approximately £500, he will state the type of relief works to which this figure applies; and whether such a figure holds good in the case of ordinary manual labour without any necessity for expensive overhead charges?
Mr. HUDSONThe figure to which my hen. Friend refers is an average figure covering relief schemes of all classes, varying in character from rough work like excavation, where labour is the principal factor to road formation and surfacing, and the construction of bridges where material accounts for a substantial proportion of the cost; and including also gas, water, docks and harbour schemes, sewerage schemes, sea defence works, municipal buildings, etc. The amount of employment provided by any particular scheme naturally depends upon the nature of the scheme and, in particular, upon the proportions of the total cost which234W are expended upon labour and materials, respectively.