asked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the number and names of the Special Areas in South Wales and Monmouthshire; also the number of unemployed persons and percentage of unemployment in each area, together with the percentage and number of persons unemployed in the United Kingdom?

pursuant to his reply (OFFICIAL REPORT, 23rd March, 1937; cols. 2756 and 2757, Vol. 321), supplied the following statement:The following table shows for 15th March, 1937,

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can give the figures of unemployment in the boot and shoe industry for the whole country and for the city of Leicester, respectively, at the latest convenient date?

The table below shows, the numbers of insured persons in the boot and shoe industry recorded as unemployed (a) in Great Britain and (b) at Leicester, at 15th March, 1937. The figures cover boot, shoe, slipper and clog manufacture and repairing. Separate figures are not available for boot and shoe manufacture.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the number of persons registered for employment in the hosiery and underwear trades who were unemployed, wholly or partially, in the whole country and in the city of Leicester, respectively, at the latest convenient date in March, 1937?

The following table shows the numbers of insured persons in the hosiery industry, and the shirts, collars, underclothing etc. industry, respectively, recorded as unemployed (a) in Great Britain and (b) at Leicester, at 15th March, 1937:

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons in Doncaster, Adwick-le-Street and Bentley have been unem- ployed for more than five, four, three, two years and one year, respectively?

The available figures relate to the area served by the Doncaster Employment Exchange. Among persons applying for insurance benefit or unemployment allowances at 15th March, 1937, at that Exchange, 201 had been continuously on the register for five years or more, 182 for four but less than five years, 173 for three but less than four years, 231 for two but less than three years, and 399 for one year but less than two years. Corresponding figures are not available in respect of persons registered as unemployed who were not applicants for insurance benefit or unemployment allowances. Of the persons who had been on the register for extended periods a proportion, which increases as the period on the register increases, will have had one or more short spells of employment, lasting not more than three days each, during such periods.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the total number of unemployed men, women and boys and girls, respectively, in Doncaster, Adwick-le-Street, and Bentley on the last available date; and how do these figures compare with a year ago?

The table below shows the numbers of unemployed men, boys, women and girls on the registers of the Doncaster Employment Exchange at 15th March, 1937, and at 23rd March, 1936. Separate figures are not available for Adwick-le-Street and Bentley, which are within the area of the Doncaster Employment Exchange.

asked the Minister of Labour how many workers since 1st January, 1937, have come from the Irish Free State to work in factories in England?

I regret that it is not possible to ascertain, without disproportionate expenditure, the number of persons entering insurable employment in England from uninsurable employment in the Irish Free State, but during the period 1st January to 31st March, 1937, 1,083 persons previously in insurable employment in the Irish Free State, entered insurable employment (other than agriculture) in England.