§ Mr. Purbrickasked the Minister of Labour what percentage of the figures recently published as to the number of unemployed are unemployables; and the 375W reason why work cannot be found in these times to absorb the balance?
§ Mr. BevinThe figures most recently given by my Department for publication show that on 8th December the number of men registered at Employment Exchanges as wholly unemployed was 84,235, of whom approximately 33 per cent. had been classified by Interviewing Panels as unsuitable for ordinary industrial employment. The corresponding figures for women at the 8th December were 62,058 and 4 per cent. The fact that a person has been classified by a Panel as unsuitable for ordinary industrial employment and a woman as unsuitable for normal full-time employment does not mean that they are unemployable. Upon the second part of the Question I would refer my hon. Friend to the replies which I gave on 7th August, 1941, to the hon. Member for South Croydon (Sir H. Williams) and on 13th October to the hon. Member for Bournemouth (Sir L. Lyle).