§ Mr. Lyonsasked the Minister of Labour whether he has considered the copy sent to him of the presidential address delivered on 20th April at the annual meeting of the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, drawing attention to the statistical misapprehension created by the method in which the unemployment figures are presented, and showing that certain of the unemployed are voluntarily unemployed owing to their refusal to take suitable gainful work available, or to accept transfer; and will he move to set up an investigating committee of all parties in this House with power to co-opt three trade union leaders to consider the matter?
§ Mr. E. BrownThe Association of British Chambers of Commerce were good enough to send me a copy of this address, and I propose to send them some comments upon it in due course. I ought to say at once, however, that the main point of criticism of the unemployment statistics was that they give the impression that the total number recorded as unemployed are permanently unemployed. This is a gratuitous misapprehension to which the published figures give no countenance, and which I endeavoured to correct in a recent Debate in this House. The address also seems to suggest that unemployed persons who, it is alleged, could obtain work if they chose, ought not to be counted as unemployed. Without agreeing that there are any considerable number of such persons, I would only remark that the suggested course does not seem to me to be sound as a piece of statistical procedure. On the matter generally I would say that I am always ready to consider suggestions for improving the method of presentation of the statistics, but I do not think the appointment of a committee is necessary desirable.