§ Sir W. Jenkinsasked the Minister of Labour whether he will give the number of miners and tinplate workers, respectively, in the Brynaman and Pontardawe area unemployed in each month from October, 1938, to the latest available date, giving each week for the last month, and the cause of unemployment; and will he take steps to re-start the industries?
§ Mr. E. BrownThe latest available statistics relate to nth September, when the number on the registers of the Pontardawe Exchange was 84 as compared with 673 on 17th October, 1938.
The table below shows the numbers of insured persons, aged 14–64, in the coalmining and tinplate industries recorded as unemployed at the Pontardawe Employ- 1056W ment Exchange at one date in each month from October, 1938, to September, 1939; corresponding figures are not available for any date later than 11th September. 1939. There is no separate exchange at Brynaman and figures for this area are therefore not available.
Date. Coal Mining. Tinplates. 1938: 17th October 30 643 14th November 54 615 12th December 38 613 1939: 16th January 54 611 13th February 46 506 13th March 54 425 17th April 21 79 15th May 19 73 12th June 13 38 10th July 10 34 14th August 17 25 11th September 7 77 It is not possible to state precisely in each case the cause of unemployment amongst the workers concerned, but the hon. Member will see from the figures given in the table that apart from a slight deterioration recently in the tinplate industry there has been a very marked improvement in the unemployment position in the area during the past year.