Mr. W. JOSEPH STEWARTasked the Minister of Labour the number of unemployed in Durham county between the ages of 16 and 65, and the amount paid in standard benefits and transitional payments since 1931?
§ Lieut.-Colonel MUIRHEAD,pursuant to his reply (OFFICIAL REPORT, 25th March, 1936; cols. 1237–8, Vol. 310), supplied the following statement
The number of unemployed persons aged 16 years and over on the registers of Employment Exchanges in the County of Durham at 23rd March, 1936, was 117,704. The precise number of these who were over 65 years of age is not available but is known to be very small.
The total amounts paid in unemployment benefit direct through Employment Exchanges in the County of Durham during the period from 1931 to March, 1936, were as follows:—
£ 1931 … 6,716,819 1932 … 2,485,231 1933 … 1,731,430 1934 … 1,531,409 1935 … 1,954,544 1936 … 454,542 (January to March) These figures do not include payments through associations, for which a geo graphical analysis is not available. The figure for 1931 includes the amount of transitional benefit paid prior to 12th November, 1931, when the Transitional Payments Scheme was introduced. The comparability of the figures is also affected by the legislation of 1934 and 1935 regarding Unemployment Insurance.
During the period January to March, 1936, the total amount paid in unemployment allowances through Employment Exchanges in the County of Durham was £1,210,968.