asked the Minister of Labour the number of men who have been transferred from the depressed coal areas through the various Employment Exchanges to employment in other parts of the country for the three months ended to the last convenient date?

During the period from 14th January to 14th April, 1930, approximately 7,618 men were transferred from depressed areas under the industrial transference scheme.

Is the same ratio of transference taking place at, the present time?

I should like notice of that question.

asked the Minister of Labour the increase or decrease in the number of women, girls and boys unemployed in the Cardiff area for last week as compared with the same week of last year?

At 14th April, 1930, the number of women, girls and boys on the registers of Employment Exchanges in the Cardiff area showed an increase of 31 as compared with 15th April, 1929.

asked the Minister of Labour how many more persons are now unemployed than in May last?

At 14th April, 1930, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 506,765 more persons on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Great Britain than at 15th April, 1929.

Would the right hon. Lady care to make any comment on that answer?

Do the figures which the right hon. Lady has mentioned include Members of the late Government who are out of office?

We are all working.

Is the right hon. Lady aware that the Lord Privy Seal stated that in February this year the numbers of unemployed would be considerably reduced? How does she reconcile that statement with the present position?

asked the Minister of Labour (1) the town or district in Scotland which has the largest number per 10,000 of its population registered as unemployed?

At 14th April, 1930, the latest date for which figures are available, the town in Scotland with the highest proportion of insured persons on the register of the Employment Exchange was Alexandria, with 51.4 per cent., and in England and Wales it was Tonypandy, with 76.8 per cent.

asked the Minister of Labour whether caretakers of Employment Exchanges are entitled to an annual holiday with pay?

Caretakers of Employment Exchange premises are eligible for annual leave with pay, provided that by the taking of such leave no additional expense for substitution is occasioned to the Department.

Are we to understand that they can have leave with pay if they pay people to do their work while they are away?

This is an arrangement which was arrived at in 1924 between the Treasury and the Workers' Union.

What exactly does it mean?

It means that, if the staffs are such that the work can be rearranged among them, the worker gets leave without having to pay, but if additional staff is to be engaged, he has to pay.

If there is only one member of the staff, must he provide somebody else to do the work and pay him?

Does not the statement made by the right hon. Lady show that the offices are permanently overstaffed?

asked the Minister of Labour if she is aware that recently 15 girls were penalised by the Darlington Employment Exchange for not accepting the conditions of employment at Catterick Camp; and whether she will cause inquiries to be made as to the pay, lodgings, and hours offered by the canteen board?

I would refer my hon. Friend to my replies on the 15th April to the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Shepherd) and the hon. Member for Attercliffe (Mr. C. Wilson), of which I am sending him copies.