Written Answers
Far Eastern Republic
asked the Lord Privy Seal if he is aware that the Government of the Far Eastern Republic has reported that the Japanese troops are trying to seize the rich mining and timber regions near Vladivostok; and whether, in view of Japan's declaration to the Powers at the Washington Conference that the delegation is authorised to declare that it is the fixed and settled policy of Japan to respect the territorial integrity of Russia and to observe the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of that country, as well as the principle of equal opportunity for the commerce and industry of all nations in every part of the Russian possessions (White Paper, Cmd. 1627, page 73), His Majesty's Government will approach the other Governments represented at Washington with a view to joint representations being made to Japan on the subject?
The answer to both parts of the question is in the negative.
Unemployment
Relief Measures And Expenditure
asked the Minister of Labour the amount of money expended to date by the Government in unemployment relief work, unemployment insurance, and other assistance for unemployed workpeople and demobilised ex-service men and women since the Armistice; whether he can give an estimate of the total expenditure by the local authorities of the Kingdom on the same form of relief for the same period; and what is the present weekly rate of expenditure by the Government and the local authorities on unemployment relief?
The following are the facts asked for by my hon. and gallant Friend:
I. Unemployment Relief Work.
As many of the schemes to which the Government has contributed are in progress, there is no complete central record of actual expenditure up to date. The figures below are therefore given in terms of grants indicated by the Government, together with corresponding sums which the local authorities were required to raise.
(a) Ministry of Transport— Arterial and other road work.
| Grants indicated | £6,200,000 |
| Contribution by local authorities | £6,200,000 |
| £12,400,000 |
(b) Unemployment Grants Committee.
(i) Grants on basis of 60 per cent. of wages bill.
| Grants allocated (deducting schemes which will not rank for grant) | £2,630,000 |
| Balance of cost to be paid by local authorities | £6,353,000 |
| £8,983,000 |
(ii) Loans Scheme.—In addition, capital expenditure to the amount of £17,238,000 has been approved for contribution towards the loan charges under the Loans Scheme.
(c) Agricultural Schemes:
(i) Ministry of Agriculture— Land Drainage Schemes.
| Maximum Commitments to date | £388,000 |
Note.—Of this sum £113,000 is recoverable from Drainage Boards and landowners.
(ii) Ministry of Agriculture— Water Supply Schemes:
| Grants promised | £9,600 |
The total cost of these schemes is estimated at £28,200, of which £18,600 is borne by landowners.
(iii) Scottish Board of Agriculture— Land Drainage Schemes:
| Grants sanctioned | £21,000 |
Note.—This figure is approximately one-half of the total cost of the schemes.
(d) Forestry Commission:
| Estimated cost of approved unemployment schemes additional to normal estimates | £206,000 |
| Estimated expenditure to be incurred by landowners and local authorities on certain of these schemes | 141,000 |
| £347,000 |
(e) Office of Works:
| (i) Emergency schemes (winter, 1920–21) of decorating and repair work in Government Departments | 77,000 |
| (ii) Relief work—Royal Parks (winter, 1921–22) | 50,000 |
| £127,000 |
(f) Local Authorities:
In addition to relief measures outlined above to which the Government have been contributing, local authorities throughout the country have instituted a substantial amount of relief work without Government assistance. Figures as to expenditure incurred in this way are not available, but returns received from local authorities show that throughout the last 18 months they have been employing between 8,000 and 10,000 men in this way. The present number reported to be so employed exceeds 10,000.
II. Unemployment Insurance, etc.
| (a) Out-of-work Donation. | |
| (i) Ex-service men and women | £40,000,000 |
| (ii) Civilians | 22,000,000 |
| (b) Unemployment Benefit (including dependants grants) | 82,000,000 |
| £144,000,000 |
III. Other forms of Assistance.
| (a) Resettlement Training | £26,692,000 |
| (b) Civil Liabilities Grants | 3,450,000 |
| (c) Overseas Settlement | 1,830,000 |
NOTE.—In addition, £375,000 was set aside from the National Relief Fund for this purpose.
IV. Other Measures.
In addition to the foregoing schemes the Government have instituted the following measures, namely:
| (1) Trade Facilities Scheme. | |
| Maximum sum the Treasury may guarantee for capital works | £25,000,000 |
| Guarantee given or sanctioned to date | 16,752,000 |
| (2) Export Credit Scheme. | |
| Total sum set aside | 26,000,000 |
| Advances, guarantees and credits sanctioned | 12,250,000 |
| (3) Acceleration of Government Contracts. | |
| Sum set aside by Government in autumn, 1921, for contract acceleration | 563,000 |
| (4) Land Settlement for ex-service men. | |
| Expenditure by Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries | 1,523,860 |
| (5) Loans under the Land Facilities Act, 1919, made by the Public Works Loan Commissioners to County Councils for capital expenditure on small holdings for ex-service men | 12,269,000 |
V. Out-door Relief.
It is impracticable to estimate with any precision the amount expended since the Armistice on outdoor relief of the unem- ployed. (See below, however, for present weekly expenditure.)
VI. Weekly Expenditure.
With the exception of unemployment benefit and out-door relief of the unemployed, the relief measures outlined above cannot be expressed in terms of weekly rate of expenditure. The present average weekly rate of expenditure on unemployment benefit is, however, approximately £1,100,000 and the corresponding figure for out-door relief of the unemployed is £247,000.
Housing (Scotland)
asked the Secretary for Scotland what is his information in regard to the total number of workers engaged in the building trade in Scotland who are at present unemployed; what is the relative cost of building to-day houses of the various types scheduled under the Housing Acts compared with that prevailing in May, 1910, 1920, and 1921; and whether he is satisfied that everything is being done to encourage private enterprise in supplying the great demand for new houses?
I am informed that the total number of unemployed workers in the building trades in Scotland was 10,121 at 24th April, 1922, the latest date for which figures are available. I have no information about the cost of house building in 1910, but the average costs under State-assisted housing schemes during 1919, 1920, and 1921 were as follows:—
| — | 1919. | 1920. | 1921. |
| £ | £ | £ | |
| Three apartment flats | 700 | 900 | 850 |
| Three apartment cottages | 750 | 950 | 950 |
| Four apartment cottages | 800 | 1,050 | 1,000 |
| Five apartment cottages | 850 | 1,250 | 1,150 |