§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the proportion of the expenditure incurred by the Unemployment Assistance Board and public assistance committees on able-bodied unemployed which is being borne by the Treasury and the local authorities, with the estimated cost for the present financial year?
§ Mr. W. S. MORRISONThe total sum voted by Parliament in the current year for unemployment allowances, including administration, is £52,230,000. The expenditure of public assistance authorities on relief to the able-bodied unemployed within the scope of the Unemployment Assistance Act is approximately £8,400,000, which is met partly from the Exchequer assistance afforded to local expenditure generally through the block grant, partly by specific Exchequer grants amounting to £5,600,000 under the Unemployment Assistance (Temporary Provisions) Acts and partly from local rates. Taking the assistance afforded through the block grant as £1,900,000, the pro-
Coal Exports from the United Kingdom as a whole and from Bristol Channel orts to certain groups of markets in 1935. — From United Kingdom. From Bristol Channel Ports. Thousand statute tons. Per cent. of total. Thousand statute tons. Per cent. of total. Trade Agreement Countries: (viz., Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Argentine, Uruguay and Irish Free State). 12,938 33.4 2,496 16.0 Quota Markets:* (viz., Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Turkey and Poland). 16,732 43.2 7,203 46.0 All other markets … … 9,044 23.4 5,937 38.0 Total (all destinations) … … 38,714 100 15,636 100 * In these markets a small proportion of the trade, for which precise figures are not available, consists of classes of coal not subject to quantitative restriction (e.g., in many cases coal for use as bunkers). With some of these countries Trade Agreements have secured an increase in, or stabilisation of, the coal quota. The answer to the second part of the question is generally in the affirmative, subject to the qualifications that in many markets the free flow of trade is hampered by Government control of the provision of exchange, and that certain countries possess powers to take action in regard to dumping.
1970Wportions of the cost of relief to the able-bodied unemployed within the above scope which are borne by the Exchequer and by local rates are 98.5 per cent. and 1.5 per cent. respectively.