§ Mr. PARKINSONasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) the number of works closed down in Lancashire in the cotton, coal, iron and steel in- 1686W dustries, during the years 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934 and 1935; stating the number of persons who have lost their employment as a consequence in each case, separately;
(2) the number of new industries that have been established in Lancashire during the years 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, and 1935, stating the nature of such industries and the number of persons employed?
§ Mr. RUNCIMAN(pursuant to his reply (OFFICIAL REPORT, 7th July, 1936; col. 1016, Vol. 314) supplied the following statement):
The number of coal pits closed in Lancashire in each of the past five years, and not subsequently reopened is shown below, together with the number of workers displaced:
Pits closed. Workers displaced. 1931 16 3,572 1932 14 1,268 1933 12 1,303 1934 17 1,114 1935 12 756 As regards the remainder of the information desired, the only particulars available are those collected since 1932 in connection with the Survey of Industrial Development, which relate solely to factories employing 25 or more work-people.
The following table shows the number of such factories engaged in the trades specified which were reported as closed in Lancashire during each of the years 1932 to 1935, distinguishing those which were reported as closed in connection with a scheme of reorganisation. Particulars of the number of workpeople displaced by these closures are not available.
1687W
Number of factories closed (a) (b). Of which closed under schemes of reorganisation. Cotton trade (spinning and weaving)— 1932 59 16 1933 41 — 1934 82 1 1935 88 — Iron and steel trades— 1932 3 3 1933 2 2 1934 — — 1935 1 — The number of factories opened in Lancashire during each of the years 1932 to 1935, together with the approximate number of persons for whom employment was provided, was as follows:
Factories opened (a). Employment provided. 1932 92 6,700 1933 65 4,900 1934 70 6,300 1935 98 7,700 325 25,600 The 325 factories were engaged in the following industries:
Non-metalliferous mining products 6 Bricks, pottery, glass, etc. 9 Chemicals 8 Iron and steel (primary and secondary processes) 14 Engineering 14 Vehicles 2 Non-ferrous metals 2 Textiles 117 Leather 5 Clothing 77 Food, drink and tobacco 21 Timber 95 Paper, printing and stationery 14 Miscellaneous 11 325 Notes.—(a) Cases in which factories were closed down on transfer of the work to newly opened factories in other parts of Lancashire have not been included in these figures either as closures or openings.
(b) It is probable that some of the factories shown as closed, particularly in 1934 or 1935, actually ceased production in an earlier year than that shown.