Mr. W. Joseph Stewartasked the Minister of Labour the number of applicants who received unemployment benefit in the administrative county of Durham,
Statistics showing the numbers of separate individuals making application for unemployment benefit in a year in particular areas are not available. The following Table, however, shows the average weekly number of payments of unemployment benefit made direct through Employment Exchanges in the areas mentioned in each of the years, 1931 to 1936— Year. Administrative County of Durham. County Borough of Sunderland. County Borough of South Shields. County Borough of Gateshead. 1931 (52 weeks) … 71,431 19,104 10,832 9,560 1932 (52 weeks) … 35,805 6,637 4,925 3,835 1933 (52 weeks) … 24,559 5,454 4,536 3,086 1934 (52 weeks) … 17,855 6,101 4,189 2,748 1935 (52 weeks) … 22,668 5,691 4,639 3,006 1936 (53 weeks) … 14,910 4,736 4,164 2,309
The following Table shows the approximate amounts paid in unemployment benefit direct through Employment Exchanges in the same areas in each of the years 1931 to 1936— Year. Administrative County of Durham. County Borough of Sunderland. County Borough of South Shields. County Borough of Gateshead. £ £ £ £ 1931 (52 weeks) … 3,947,134 1,062,108 599,248 499,623 1932 (52 weeks) … 1,563,306 311,102 232,778 165,629 1933 (52 weeks) … 1,002,977 229,926 209,420 133,844 1934 (52 weeks) … 808,660 283,329 200,685 126,592 1935 (52 weeks) … 1,122,308 286,106 236,345 145,619 1936 (53 weeks) … 839,133 230,136 216,391 111,237 Notes— (1) The comparability of the figures for 1931 with those for later years is ffected by the introduction of the Transitional Payments Scheme in November, 1931. (2) The above figures do not include payments made through Associations, of which a geographical analysis is not available. The number of these, however, is relatively small. (3) The figures for 1936 do not include payments of benefit under the Agricultural Scheme.