Written Answers
Work Schemes, Chester-Le-Street (Wages)
asked the Minister of Health the reason why the Chester-le-Street Rural District Council are not allowed to pay the recognised rate of wages hitherto paid by them for the work being done by direct labour on their drainage scheme and other work now being done at Birtley, Berwick Main, and Pelton; and whether he will reconsider the matter?
The work on the schemes to which my hon. Friend presumably refers has been completed; I know of no drainage schemes now under construction in these places. The rate of wages was governed by the condition which applies to grant schemes of this kind that it was not to exceed the local authority's rate to its own workmen on similar classes of work or the recognised district rate if lower. The rate agreed to for the work on the schemes was that fixed for Newcastle-upon-Tyne by the Civil Engineering Conciliation Board. The board had not fixed any rate for Chester-le-Street but there can be little doubt that any rate fixed by them would not exceed that operative in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Poor Law Relief (Plymouth)
asked the Minister of Health the number of persons in receipt of Poor Law relief in the City of Plymouth, specifying categories, for the month of May, 1931?
The following statement shows the number of persons in receipt of poor relief in the City of Plymouth on Saturday 30th May, 1931:
| Institutional Relief (including casuals but excluding rate-aided patients in Mental Hospitals) | 576 |
| Domiciliary Relief (excluding persons in receipt of domiciliary medical relief only) | 5,411 |
| Total | 5,987 |
Spanish Convent Schools (British Children)
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been called to the losses by British schoolchildren sent to convents in Spain on the occasion of the sacking of convent schools during the recent political unrest; and whether he
| Numbers of persons on the registers of the Plymouth and Devonport Employment Exchanges. | |||||||
| Date. | Men. | Boys.* | Women. | Girls.* | Total. | ||
| Plymouth. | |||||||
| 4th May, 1931 | … | … | 4,538 | 193 | 950 | 181 | 5,862 |
| 11th May, 1931 | … | … | 4,488 | 192 | 926 | 174 | 5,780 |
| 18th May, 1931 | … | … | 4,600 | 189 | 928 | 166 | 5,883 |
| 25th May, 1931 | … | … | Whit-Monday—No figures available. | ||||
| Devonport. | |||||||
| 4th May, 1931 | … | … | 2,486 | — | 474 | — | 2,960 |
| 11th May, 1931 | … | … | 2,548 | — | 458 | — | 3,006 |
| 18th May, 1931 | … | … | 2,461 | — | 458 | — | 2,919 |
| 25th May, 1931 | … | … | Whit- Monday—No figures available. | ||||
| * Juveniles resident at Devonport are included in the Plymouth figures. | |||||||
will endeavour to secure compensation for British subjects who have lost their effects?
Inquiries of His Majesty's Consular Officers at Madrid, Seville and Malaga, covering the areas affected, have revealed only the following cases:In Madrid, two English girls are understood to have lost their belongings in the burning of the College of the Sacred Heart on 11th May. Temporary accommodation was found for these children, who have now returned to England. A claim for compensation has been received from the father of one of them and is being dealt with. His Majesty's Consul is in communication with the parents of the second. In Malaga, the Spanish relatives of two British children applied to His Majesty's Consul on 16th May for assistance in recovering trunks under military guard at a Jesuit College which was never actually attacked. They were recommended to the military authorities, and as far as is known have recovered their property.
Unemployment (Plymouth And Devonport)
asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons, specifying men, women, boys and girls, on the Employment Exchanges of Devonport and Plymouth, respectively, for the month of May, 1931?
The following table gives the information desired: