asked the Minister of Labour if she can give the number of persons over 60 years of age who are totally unemployed and drawing unemployment benefit, and also the number over the same age who are partially employed and drawing benefit?

I regret that statistics giving the information desired are not available.

Do they not take the ages of people who make claims for benefit?

Not at the moment of application, and the figures could not be obtained without an analysis.

Can the right hon. Lady give any approximate number?

I do not think that it is possible.

asked the Minister of Labour the total increase in the number of the personnel employed in Employment Exchanges throughout the country during the past 12 months?

The increase in the staff of Employment Exchanges, excluding cleaners who are mostly part-time, was 3,257 at 1st June, 1930, as compared with 1st June, 1929.

In spite of the very large increase in the staff required, is the right hon. Lady satisfied that there is sufficient staff to deal with the ever-increasing number of unemployed?

I am watching that carefully, and I have arranged for one week's overtime pending the necessary increase.

Has there been any basis of the staffing arrangements, or is it still fluctuating with the Exchanges?

It is still fluctuating with the Exchanges.

Is not this increase in staff due to the increase in unemployment consequent on the policy of the Government?

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of male and female cotton operatives in the spinning and weaving sections who were registered as unemployed at the latest convenient date and at the corresponding date last year?

As the reply is necessarily long and contains a number of figures, I will, if I may, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Is the right hon. Lady aware that there will probably be a reduction in the unemployment in the cotton industry owing to the advertisement which she has given to-day?

Why are you not in cotton, in a white sheet?

asked the Minister of Labour (1) if she can state, as on any recent convenient date, the number of married and single women, respectively, who have made application for benefit under the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1930, who had previously been disallowed under the statutory conditions in operation before the passage of that Act, and the results of such applications;

(2) if she can state, as on the last convenient date, the number of claims to benefit submitted under the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1930, by applicants who had previously been disallowed on the ground that they were not genuinely seeking work or had not had a reasonable period of employment, the number of those claims which have been allowed, and the number disallowed on the ground that the applicants are not normally occupied in insurable employment?

I regret that separate figures giving the information desired are not available.

asked the Minister of Labour whether her attention has been called to the fact that a number of men employed at the Avonmouth Docks, Bristol, who registered as unemployed on Tuesday, 10th instant, have had their claim for unemployment benefit disputed by the local official; whether she is aware that a statement was made by the employers' representative that the claims were genuine; and what action she proposes to take to ensure that benefit will be paid to the men at an early date?

In this case there was a trade dispute, and it was necessary for the claims of the men concerned to be referred to the headquarters insurance officer for a decision as to the date when they would become eligible for benefit. I am informed that a decision was given on 17th June to the effect that the disqualification on account of the trade dispute did not extend beyond the 6th and 7th June.

Will the right hon. Lady have a communication sent there, so that the men shall know that their claim will be admitted this week?

That has already been sent.

Will the right hon. Lady do what she can to speed up the cases which are referred from a court of referees to the Umpire? I have several cases that have been waiting for three months for a decision.

I will do my best. I have made further appointments of umpires in view of the surge of work due to the new legislation coming into operation.

asked the Minister of Labour the numbers of unemployed in the iron and steel trades at the latest date for which returns are available?

At 26th May, 1930 the number of insured persons, aged 16 to 64, classified as belonging to the iron and steel industries (including pig iron manufacture, steel melting, iron and steel rolling and forging, etc.) recorded as unemployed in Great Britain was 58,194.

Having regard to the significance of this fall in the figures, is the right hon. Lady making any representations to her colleagues in the Government to take definite steps to safeguard the steel industry, in order to prevent this rise in unemployment?

Is the right hon. Lady surprised in view of the fact that we are importing £3,000,000—[Interruption.]

asked the Minister of Labour whether she will grant a return analysing the 115,000 persons given employment on public works on the initiative of the Government, and showing the composition of these persons classified according to sex, age, and the last regular occupation of employ·s, and distinguishing the above into the two classes of those without and those with dependants?

In order to obtain these particulars, it would be necessary to ask each of the local authorities concerned to make a special return. I am very reluctant to throw this additional burden on the authorities at a moment when they are being pressed to throw all their energies into the speeding up of the provision of work.

Does the Minister not agree that this will be the best way of ascertaining the real value of unemployment schemes to the people for whom they are intended?

I realise the value of getting such statistics, and I might find out whether it is possible to get something not quite so exact at the time at which payments are sent from the Employment Exchanges.

Will the Minister communicate with me to see whether we can get it within a reasonable time, and the nature of what she thinks it is possible to get without undue trouble?

Yes.

asked the Minister of Labour the present position of the Unemployment Insurance Fund; and whether it will be necessary to introduce further legislation in connection therewith before the summer recess?

The debt of the Unemployment Fund to the Exchequer was £42,510,000 on the 14th June. The answer to the last part of the question is in the affirmative.

Is the proportionate increase, which is only payable half-yearly, included in the total?

No.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of women who are at present undergoing training for domestic service under the schemes to relieve unemployment?

The number of girls and women now in training at the home training centres administered by the Central Committee on Women's Training and Employment with a view to entering domestic service, is about 1,000, equivalent approximately to 3,500 in the course of a year.

Having regard to the fact that this is one of the occupations in which the demand for labour exceeds the supply, cannot the right hon. Lady hold out some hope that she can get an increase of these numbers shortly?

The Women's Committee is only too anxious to put centres where possible.

Is it not a fact that the demand exceeds the supply because of the intolerable conditions in domestic service?

asked the Minister of Labour if her attention has been called to the shortage of cooks and other classes of domestic servants in this country; and if, in view of the increase of unemployment, she will say what measures are being taken to meet the demand?

I am aware of the opportunities of employment offered ay domestic service. Apart from the facilities offered by the Employment Exchanges the action taken to increase the supply consists of special training centres. There are 32 centres at present open, and the Central Committee on Women's Training and Employment are prepared to establish further training centres to the extent to which circumstances justify it.

Can the right hon. Lady say whether the efforts to meet the shortage of cooks have been successful? Slit has given a general statement, but can she give me definite statistics to show whether she has placed any cooks in situations?

Oh, these girls are eagerly snapped up as soon as they have finished their training.

Is the right hon. Lady prepared to give some guarantee that the girls trained under this scheme will go to homes where decent conditions prevail?

I am happy to say that great cafe is taken by the superintendents of these centres to try to follow up these girls, and I think the fact of the girls passing through these centres is having its effect upon conditions.

Will the right hon. Lady see that employers produce a character, seeing that they ask for characters from the girls?

Is the Minister prepared to appoint a special Exchange for domestic servants?

I thank the hon. Member for the suggestion, and I will certainly give it my careful consideration.

I would like a reply to my question. [Laughter.]

The hon. Member ought to put the question down.

This is no laughing matter to me. These people are of my class. It used to be done.

The question really does not arise directly out of the answer.

Is it not a fact that prior to the War references had to be given by employers in many cases?

asked the Minister of Labour how many juvenile employment centres are now open; how many have been opened or re-opened in the present year; and what number in that period have been closed owing to low attendances or the cessation of the need for their existence?

There are at present 77 junior instruction centres and 11 junior instruction classes in operation in Great Britain. Since 31st December eight centres and four classes have been opened or re-opened. None have been closed since that date owing to low attendances or the cessation of the need for its existence.

Is the right hon. Lady satisfied that centres are available for the young persons who need training?

No, I am not satisfied. I should much prefer to see the pace speeded up.

Will the right hon. Lady bring pressure to bear on local authorities to find the necessary centres as soon as possible?

I will see to that.

asked the Minister of Labour what number of men are in training to-day at the Ministry's farm-training centres at Claydon and Brandon, respectively, and of them what numbers are training Stir oversea settlement and home employment?

119 men are now in training at Claydon and 409 at Brandon. Of these 166 are training for overseas settlement and 362 for home employment. Under arrangements now in progress there will be shortly a considerable addition to the number of men in training at these centres for home employment.

asked the Minister of Labour at what date the unemployment figures for Scotland last stood at their present level?

The last date on which the numbers of persons on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Scotland was at approximately the present level was in December, 1926.

Can the right hon. Lady say whether in any single area in Scotland the numbers of the unemployed have diminished since the Government took office?

I must have notice of that question.

asked the President of the Board of Education the estimated amount per £ which will be added to the rates for the conveyance of children to school in the counties of Somerset, Cornwall and London, or any other large town?

According to the estimates submitted with the programmes of the respective authorities, the additional cost of conveyance of children to school in the year 1932–33 will represent a rate of, approximately, 2d. in the case of Somerset and .04d. in the case of Cornwall. In London and other urban areas it is not, as a rule, necessary to make arrangements for the conveyance of children as a result of the reorganisation of schools.

Does that not show that very small percentage grants are handicapping the country districts as compared with the towns?

I think that point has already been answered.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that the cost of conveying children to school will add at least 2½d. in the £ to the rates in Devonshire; and whether the will consider increasing the Government grant for this purpose to a higher figure than 20 per cent.?

I am aware that the preliminary programme submitted by the Devonshire Local Education Authority contains a provisional estimate of £30,000 as the annual cost of conveying children to school when their scheme of reorganisation has been completely carried out, and that, on a basis of an Exchequer grant of 20 per cent., this would represent a rate of some 2½d. in the £. In regard to the second part of the question, I would remind the hon. and gallant Member that, while expenditure on this particular service attracts grant at the rate of 20 per cent., it is estimated that 70 per cent. of the total estimated cost of raising the school-leaving age will fall on the Exchequer.

Does the right hon. Gentleman not realise that the giving of such small grants encourages local authorities to build very much smaller central schools, whereas larger grants might save money? Surely the right hon. Gentleman does not wish to have small central schools, and would it not be a better policy to give larger grants?

Is the Minister of Education not aware that that policy is penalising the rural areas?

I do not think so. There are other advantages which

Would not larger grants induce them to build larger schools?

asked the President of the Board of Education the number of schools, provided and non-provided, in England and Wales; the numbers of scholars attending; and the figures, schools and scholars, for each separate denomination who come within the term non-provided?

The figures for which my hon. Friend asks will be found in Table 5 of the statistics published with the report of the Board of Education for the year 1929.

asked the President of the Board of Education (1) if he will give the most recent figures showing the produce of a penny rate per child at school in the following municipal areas: Bournemouth, Blackpool, Leeds, Bradford, Hull and Walsall;

(2) if he will give the most recent figure showing the total cost per child attending the elementary schools; and the corresponding grants paid per head to the respective authorities by the Board in Bournemouth, Blackpool, Leeds, Bradford, Hull and Walsall?

With my hon. Friend's permission, I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the figures for which he asks.

asked the Prime Minister whether he proposes to allot any time for the discussion of the recent report of the special inquiry into test work?

Owing to pressure of Parliamentary business. I should find it difficult at present to allot time for this purpose.

Is the Prime Minister aware of the seriously unsatisfactory position which that report exhibits, particularly in the rural areas; and can he advise us as to whether any action is going to be taken in order to remove the very serious grievances which still exist with respect to test work?

That is primarily a departmental responsibility.

Is it not all the more necessary to have a discussion, having regard to the failure of the Minister of Health to keep his pledges on the matter?

I shall be very glad to have a discussion if the right hon. Gentleman will secure the putting down of a Vote which will enable it to take place,

Is the right hon. Gentleman satisfied with the continuance of a system under which stone-breaking and stone-shifting are made a penalty for being an able-bodied unemployed man?

I am not quite sure how far I am satisfied with any system.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the amount of relief being given by public assistance and guardians' committees under the new Local Government Act is in many cases on a much lower scale than the rates awarded by Poor Law unions; and what action he proposes to take in the matter?

The use of scales of relief is optional and they do not require my sanction. The assistance granted to any applicant should be measured not by scale but by the applicant's needs. Scales, if adopted, can only be properly used as a general guide, and a comparison of scales would be of little value without knowledge of the manner of their application in individual cases. I have already drawn the attention of local authorities to the principle that, where outdoor relief is given, it should be carefully adapted to the needs of the case and be adequate in amount.

Will the right hon. Gentleman make inquiries to see whether it is true that in various cases the scales of relief now are lower than they were before the Act came into operation?

That may be true, but in other cases they happen to be higher. A good deal depends on how the local authorities administer it.

Notwithstanding the issue of the circular in January to Poor Law authorities, are there not in certain places masses of people, particularly the single young men to whom the right hon. Gentleman refers, who are being excluded as a class from the operation of these scales?

If the hon. Member will give me instances of that I shall be very glad to receive them, because I laid it down quite clearly that local authorities ought not to exclude classes as classes.

asked the Prime Minister whether the Government is now prepared to set up a committee of inquiry into the organisation of the woollen and worsted textile industry?

I have been asked to reply to this question. As I have already indicated, the subject is one which under present circumstances is attended by considerable difficulty; and I have not yet reached a decision regarding the question of appointing a committee of inquiry.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that, now that the workers are being compelled to accept the reduction recommended by the Macmillan Commission, there is a widespread feeling in the West Riding that a committee of this kind should be set up to investigate all the conditions of the industry?

As I have informed my hon. Friend, the position has been complicated by an industrial dispute. My reply merely means that we want to get rid of the question of the industrial dispute; it does not mean that the inquiry which my hon. Friend suggests is necessarily excluded.

May I ask what is the right hon. Gentleman's interpretation of the end of the industrial dispute?

Of course, it is quite useless to launch an inquiry in an adverse atmosphere, but I think I can say that we can come to a decision on this matter within the course of a very few days now.

asked the Prime Minister if he is now in a position to indicate any practical action as a result of the recommendations of the committee inquiring into the cotton trade?