HC Deb 04 November 1937 vol 328 cc1129-30W
Major Procter

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can state the number of unemployed workers over 55; whether he is considering proposals for training them for employment; and if he can now state what he intends to do so that they may get work?

Mr. E. Brown

At 3rd May, the date of the last special analysis of the unemployed register, there were 264,478 men and women aged 55 and over registered as unemployed. Many of these, however, are only temporarily unemployed and less than half had been unemployed for 12 months or more. As my hon. and gallant Friend is aware, I have recently been making personal inquiries into the problem raised in his question. These are not yet complete but so far I have seen no reason to suppose that any general solution is likely to be found by means of training for new employment. I should also like to say that the usefulness of the older men in industry has been underrated by many employers, but there is some evidence that employers are now taking such men in greater numbers.