§ 49. Mr. Mainwaringasked the Minister of Labour the total estimated population, the insured population on a comparable basis and the number of unemployed persons for Cardiff city and Rhondda urban district, respectively, for the years 1935, 1940 and 1945 and for December, 1948; and if he will indicate the growth of factory space occupied for production for the same period and, separately, for each authority.
§ Mr. IsaacsWith regard to the first part of the Question, it is not possible to supply figures on a strictly comparable basis throughout. The statistics of total population relate to residents in particular local government areas, whereas the statistics of insured persons, which are based on the numbers of unemployment books exchanged at employment exchanges, relate more closely to the numbers of such persons working in the areas of the exchanges in question than to the numbers resident in those areas. Moreover, the employment exchange areas are not necessarily co-terminous with those of the local government areas in which the exchanges are situated. Furthermore, owing to changes in the 45W scope of unemployment insurance, the statistics of insured persons for 1945 and 1948 cover a slightly wider field than
Date Cardiff County Borough Rhondda Urban District Estimated total population (all ages) Estimated number of insured persons in the area of Employment Exchanges situated in the Borough Number of insured persons registered as unemployed at Employment Exchanges situated in the Borough Estimated total population (all ages) Estimated numbers of insured persons in the area of Employment Exchanges situated in the Urban district Number of insured persons registered as unemployed at Employment Exchanges situated in the Urban district July, 1935 221,400 71,920 15,294 134,600 45,240 17,856 " 1940 226,100 80,920 4,402 117,900 38,480 10,933 " 1945 217,410 83,850 429 116,480 33,090 2,150 " 1948 234,970 100,240* 2,615 112,050 35,600* 4,497 December, 1948 † † 3,075 † † 3,953 * Excluding persons insured under the National Insurance Act who were not previously insured against unemployment. † Figures not available. As regards the second part of the Question, the information is as follows:
NEW FACTORY SPACE OR EXTENSIONS OVER 5,000 SQ. FT. COMPLETED OR OCCUPIED. Local Authority 1935—Mid 1940 1940—Mid 1945 1945—Mid 1948 No. of Projects Sq. feet No. of Projects Sq. feet No. of Projects Sq. feet Cardiff C.B. 2 138,000 4 792,000 25 961,000 Rhondda U.D. 2 83,000 1 120,000 10 383,000 The above figures do not include certain schemes of re-organisation of existing factories by civil engineering work or external plant extensions not measurable in terms of floor space. Nor do they include existing premises converted to factory use for the first time or occupied by new industrial concerns during the periods in question; information about the floor areas of these factories is not available.