HC Deb 20 July 1938 vol 338 cc2214-5W
Sir M. Barclay-Harvey

asked the Minister of Labour what is the total number of agricultural workers registered as unemployed in each county in Scotland in December, 1937, and at the last available date?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

The following table shows the numbers of persons, aged 14–64, insured under the agricultural scheme in the farming, forestry, etc., industry classification recorded as unemployed at Employment Exchanges in each county in Scotland at 13th December, 1937, and 13th June, 1938:

County. 13th December, 1937. 13th June, 1938.
Aberdeen 524 391
Angus 645 406
Argyll 166 193
Ayr 545 325
Banff 150 133
Berwick 100 66
Bute 20 15
Caithness and Sutherland 123 150
Clackmannan 23 24
Dunbarton 122 97
Dumfries 315 239
East Lothian 139 123
Fife 438 295
Inverness 336 175
Kincardine 120 98
Kinross 19 17
Kirkcudbright 106 48
Lanark 731 668
Midlothian 382 312
Moray 313 97
Nairn 16 8
Orkney 22 23
Peebles 17 15
Perth 488 335
Renfrew 155 111
Ross and Cromarty 129 118
Roxburgh 81 83
Selkirk 56 44
Stirling 159 120
West Lothian 146 111
Wigtown 232 186
Zetland 29 21
Total, Scotland 6,847 5,047

Sir M. Barclay-Harvey

asked the Minister of Labour what is the total amount of money which has been contributed in Scotland to the agricultural insurance scheme and the total amount that has been paid in benefits in Scotland at the last available date and also in the counties of Aberdeen and Kincardine, respectively?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

Up to 30th June, 1938, the net amount received by the agricultural account of the unemployment fund in respect of the contributions of employers and workers in Scotland, including the related Exchequer contribution, was about £485,000. The total amount of agricultural benefit which had been paid in Scotland at that date was approximately £140,000, of which £10,400 and £2,200 had been paid in the counties of Aberdeen and Kincardine, respectively.