§ 61. Mr. Harry Howarthasked the Minister of Labour what percentage of boot and shoe operatives is on short time in Northamptonshire; what is the average time lost per week; what are the factors contributing to this underemployment; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GunterInformation on short-time working is collected on a sample basis for Great Britain as a whole and does not provide reliable figures for smaller areas. It is estimated that in May, 1967, about one-eighth of employees in the footwear industry were on short-time: the average time lost was about 6 hours a week. This was mainly due to a falling-off in home demand.