asked the Minister of Labour the number of workers engaged in the tobacco industry in 1900, 1910, 1920, and at the present time?

Comparable statistics for the whole period in question are not available. The following table shows the estimated numbers of persons,' obtained from the population censuses, in England and Wales, engaged in the manufacture of tobacco, cigars, cigarettes and snuff. The first figure for 1911 is comparable with that for 1901, but for comparison with 1921 the second figure for 1911 should be used:

Year.					Number.
1901	…	…	…	…	27,000
1911	…	…	…	…	27,000
1911	…	…	…	…	31,000*
1921	…	…	…	…	46,000*
* This figure includes clerks, warehousemen, packers, etc. These classes were not included in the 1911 census total.

Similar figures for Scotland are not available for 1901 and 1911, but at the census of 1921 the number obtained for Scotland was 3,000. At July, 1929, the estimated number of persons, aged 16 to 64, insured under the Unemployment Insurance Acts and classified as belonging to tobacco, cigar, cigarette and snuff manufacture in Great Britain was 44,170.