asked the Minister of Labour how many more persons are unemployed than when the Government took office in June last?

The number of persons on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Great Britain on 13th January, 1930, was 363,469 more than on 10th June, 1929.

Is that number more or less than it was a year ago?

It is more. A year ago it was 285,054.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of unemployed men, women and juveniles at the various Exchanges in the Parliamentary Divisions of Derby, Belper, Ilkeston and South Derbyshire, together with the figures for the corresponding period of 1929?

I will circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT as soon as the information desired can be tabulated.

asked the Minister of Labour if any statistics are available to show the average length of the spells of employment obtained by shipwrights and boilermakers over any recent convenient period?

I regret that the information for which the hon. Member asks is not available.

Will the right hon. Lady consider the advisability of having a simple test made having regard to the fact that these workers are classed as being in casual employment?

As a matter of fact, as the result of the hon. Member's question, I have decided to make some such test.

asked the Minister of Labour if she will give the total number of unemployed men, women, and juveniles registered at the Grimsby Employment Exchange on the latest available date and for the corresponding date a year ago?

At 13th January. 1930, there were on the registers of the Grimsby Employment Exchange 2,846 men, 326 women, and 322 juveniles, as compared with 3,020 men, 261 women, and 344 juveniles at 14th January, 1929.

asked the Minister of Labour if she will consider the framing of an Unemployment Insurance Act consolidating all the Acts now existing, with a view to a simple reading of the Act?

Yes, Sir. I propose to take this in hand as soon as the Bill now before Parliament becomes law. I ought to point out that a Bill to consolidate the Unemployment Insurance Acts must be confined to what consolidation implies. It can only contain provisions that reproduce the law as it exists and cannot add to or detract from that law.

Do I understand that 26 Acts have been passed since the inception of that Measure, and would not the consolidation of those Acts be an advantage?

That is, of course, the point.

Does the Minister of Labour think that the consolidation of these Acts will be so simple as is suggested in the question?

asked the Minister of Labour the number of unemployed persons in Bethnal Green at any convenient date in January, 1928, 1929 and 1930, respectively?

The number of persons resident in the Metropolitan Borough of Bethnal Green who were on the registers of Employment Exchanges at 13th January, 1930, was 3,390. It is estimated that the corresponding figures for 14th January, 1929, and 16th January, 1928, were about 3,300 and 2,800 respectively.

asked the Minister of Labour if her attention has been directed to the lack of accommodation at the Deptford Bridge Employment Exchange and particularly to the absence of shelter for applicants lined up outside; and what steps, if any, will be taken to improve the accommodation?

My attention has been called to the inadequate accommodation at the Deptford Employment Exchange, and arrangements are in hand to extend the building and to make other alterations with a view to facilitating the work generally.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will consider the appointment of a Select Committee to inquire into the general effects upon unemployment of the rationalisation of industry?

The factors affecting the volume of employment, of which rationalisation is only one, are under constant examination by the Departments concerned and in other ways. I do not think that a Select Committee would be an appropriate body to consider this question.

Might not this matter be dealt with by the new Economic Council that is to be appointed, and cannot we have this year some report on what obviously is a most important matter in relation to unemployment?

I have no doubt at all that this is one of the matters that the Economic Council will deal with.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman think industry is quite capable of rationalising itself?

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade as representing the Forestry Commissioners whether, in view of the unemployment in the Brynmawr district, he can include in his planting programme for afforestation an area of at least 1,000 acres in south-east Breconshire?

The Forestry Commissioners regret that they are unable to include in their planting programme for this season an area in south-east Breconshire, where they have no land. Every effort to secure suitable land in the district has up to the present proved fruitless, mainly on account of the existence of common rights and unsuitable soil and exposure. Over 1,000 acres have however been planted by the Commission in other parts of the county.

Is the hon. Member aware that, when I asked a similar question before Christmas as to whether the Forestry Commissioners had taken powers in this respect, he informed me that they already had the powers. If they have, why do not they exercise them?