§ Captain ERSKINE-BOLSTasked the Minister of Labour if he can state how the present number of women and girls employed in Great Britain at the present time compares with that of 10, 20, and 30 years ago, respectively; and what was the proportion of women and girls' employment to the total numbers employed at these dates?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONThe only statistics compiled by my Department, bearing on this subject, are those which are obtained once a year by deducting the number of insured persons recorded as unemployed, at the end of June, from the total number of insured workers, at the same date, as estimated on the basis of the annual exchange of unemployment books. For the dates June, 1923, and June, 1933, a detailed analysis is given on pages 437 and 438 of the issue of the "Ministry of Labour Gazette" for December, 1933, of which I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy. I regret that corresponding figures are not available for the earlier years specified.