Written Answers
Coal Industry (Statistics)
asked the Secretary for Mines the average number of miners employed in the pits of Great Britain during the years 1913, 1920, 1924, and 1928, respectively, with the total output of coal in each year?
The figures are as follow:
| Year. | Persons employed. | Output of saleable coal. |
| Tons. | ||
| 1913 | 1,104,400 | 287,348,000 |
| 1920 | 1,225,910 | 229,424,000 |
| 1924 | 1,213,700 | 267,118,000 |
| 1928 | 943,000 | 237,750,000 |
| * Provisional and subject to correction. | ||
Local Government And Rating (Valuations)
asked the Minister of Health whether the Government have instructed local authorities to raise the level of assessments in certain parts of the country, and whether Government officials are employed for the purpose?
There is no foundation for such statements. No Government Department has any power to give directions to local authorities in regard to the valuations to be put upon rateable hereditaments. The full responsibility for making the valuations rests with the local rating and assessment authorities, and no Government official, outside London, is concerned with valua- tions for rating purposes, except in connection with the compilation of the special lists on which rate relief will depend. In connection with that work Revenue officers have power to challenge the valuations on properties which come within the scope of the de-rating scheme, but this power is expressly limited to cases in which they consider that the value proposed by the local authority is too high.
Unemployment
Irish Persons
asked the Prime Minister whether the Government have any figures to indicate what number of Irish persons have come to Great Britain from Ireland and obtained employment here during the last 18 months, and, if so, what are they, and whether, in view of the lack of employment in Scotland and Northern England, any steps can be taken to restrict the number of such persons from obtaining employment at the expense of persons resident in Great Britain?
No separate records are ordinarily kept of persons who come from Ireland to Great Britain
| Persons on the Registers of the Borough Employment Exchange. | ||||||||
| — | Men. | Boys. | Women. | Girls. | Total. | |||
| 25th January, 1926 | … | … | … | 6,122 | 313 | 1,560 | 455 | 8,450 |
| 31st January, 1927 | … | … | … | 6,265 | 302 | 1,588 | 511 | 8,666 |
| 30th January, 1928 | … | … | … | 5,157 | 247 | 1,374 | 415 | 7,193 |
| 28th January, 1929 | … | … | … | 6,234 | 354 | 1,264 | 363 | 8,215 |
Juveniles, Cardiff
asked the Minister of Labour the number of juveniles placed in employment by the Cardiff Juvenile Employment Committee during the last year reported on and the number transferred from Cardiff to other areas?
The annual report of the Cardiff Juvenile Employment Committee for the year ended 31st July, 1923, shows:
| Boys placed | 1,394 |
| Girls placed | 1,394 |
| Total | 2,788 |
to take up employment, and accordingly the precise figures asked for by my hon. and gallant Friend are not available. Such information as is available indicates that the recent figures at any rate are not of a very large order, but in view of the serious unemployment now prevalent in Scotland and Northern England, the position is being watched.
Borough
asked the Minister of Labour the number of insured workpeople registered as unemployed on the register of the Walworth Road (Borough) Employment Exchange on 28th February, 1929?
At 25th February, 1929, there were 7,726 insured persons on the registers of the Walworth Road (Borough) Employment Exchange.
asked the Minister of Labour the classification of workpeople registered as unemployed on the registers of the Walworth Road (Borough) Employment Exchange at 31st January, 1929, with comparable figures for the three years previous?
The following table gives such information as is readily available:—The report does not state how many of these juveniles were transferred to other areas, but does state that from May, 1928, up to the date of the compilation of the Report on 23rd November, 1928, over 50 boys and girls, mainly boys, had been transferred.
Courts Of Referees (Payments)
asked the Minister of Labour if he will state in tabular form, and separately, the total amounts paid in remuneration and expenses to persons acting on courts of referees from the commencement of the operations of the unemployment insurance scheme right up to date?
Chairmen of the courts are remunerated by way of fees, but members of the courts receive only travelling expenses, subsistence allowances and, in certain circumstances, compensation for loss of earnings. The total amounts paid in the period from 31st March, 1912, to 31st January, 1929, were as follow:
| £ | |
| Chairman's fees | 260,102 |
| Other payments to Chairmen and members | 92,217 |
Admiralty Employes (Service Abroad)
asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether Admiralty employés engaged under agreement abroad have a limited period fixed in such agreement; and, if so, what is the maximum period?
The agreement usually provides for the service abroad to be not less than a stated period, which may be extended if desired by both parties. The period specified is never more than five years, and is usually from one to three years. Where promotion involves appointment to an establishment abroad, no period of service is specified in the agreement.
Companies' Share Capital Duty
asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, the amount received by the Treasury for Share Capital Duty on new company flotations for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date; the gross amount on which this duty was paid; and the number of companies concerned?
The net receipt of Companies' Share Capital Duty in the year ended 31st March, 1928, was £3,250,603, corresponding to an aggregate capital value of approximately £325,000,000. The number of companies concerned was 10,884.
League Of Nations (Territorial Waters)
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, when the Committee of the League of Nations was appointed to examine into the question of territorial waters; what are its terms of reference; who are the British representatives; and whether instructions have been given them as regards resisting any proposals for extending the present recognised three-mile limit?
A Committee of Experts was appointed by a Resolution of the Assembly of the League of Nations on 22nd September, 1924, with the following terms of reference:
inter alia, a report by Mr. Schucking, the German expert, on Territorial Waters, which was referred to the Governments of the Members of the League for consideration. A Committee of five persons appointed by the Council, and including Sir Cecil Hurst, Legal Adviser to the Foreign Office, is at present engaged in preparing the work of the First Conference on the Codification of International Law. Among the subjects with which it is proposed that this Conference should deal is the question of Territorial Waters, but the Conference has not yet been convened and no British representatives have accordingly been appointed. His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom have replied to a questionnaire on Territorial Waters sent out by the Preparatory Committee, that they regard the limit of territorial waters as three miles.