§ Mr. Rhys Daviesasked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the percentages of unemployment at June in each of the last five years in Hindley and Westhoughton, respectively?
§ Mr. Ernest Brown,pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 13th July, 1937; col. 1904, Vol. 326) supplied the following statement:
The following table shows, for the Hindley and Westhoughton Employment Exchanges, the percentages which the numbers of insured persons, aged 16–64 (exclusive of those insured under the agricultural scheme), recorded as unemployed at June of each of the years 1932 to 1937, bear to the approximate numbers of unemployment books exchanged:
Date. Hindley. Westhoughton. 27th June, 1932 … 54.4 40.1 26th June, 1933 … 45.1 27.0 25th June, 1934 … 50.7 30.5 24th June, 1935 … 44.3 30.9 22nd June, 1936 … 39.9 34.0 21st June, 1937 … 38.5 27.4 A number of insured persons register at these Local Offices when unemployed whose books were exchanged at other Local Offices, thus tending to give higher percentages than would be indicated by the state of employment in the areas named.