§ Mr. Daggarasked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the number of unemployed persons in the Special Areas in South Wales and Monmouthshire for each month from September, 1936, to October, 1937; and the number of persons who have migrated both with the assistance of the Employment Exchanges and at their own expense during this period?
§ Mr. ButlerThe number of unemployed persons, aged 14 years and over, on the registers in the South Wales and Monmouthshire Special Area at 21st September, 1936, is published in Appendix V to the Third Report of the Commission for the Special Areas (England and Wales). Corresponding figures for each month from October, 1936, to September, 1937, are given in Appendix I to the Commissioner's report for the year ended 30th September, 1937. The figure for 18th October, 1937, was 98,641; this figure has been compiled in accordance with the revised procedure for counting the unemployed, introduced in September, 1937, under which persons subsequently found to be in employment at the date of the count are excluded.
As regards the second part of the question, during the period from October, 1936, to September, 1937, inclusive, 12,335 persons (5,770 men, 2,082 women, 2,590 boys and 1,893 girls) from the Special Areas in South Wales and Monmouthshire were placed by the Department in their first employment after transfer. During the same period, 3,592 men are known to have transferred to employment which they found for themselves and 8,072 men to have transferred on their own account to look for work. Of the latter 1,515, which are included in the figure of 5,770 referred to above, were placed in their first employment by the Department, and 3,600 found work on their own account.
No information is available regarding the number of women, boys and girls who have migrated on their own account.