Written Answers
Electricity Supply, London Area
asked the Minister of Transport whether he can state the number of electricity supply companies in the London area buying electric current in bulk and retailing it to groups of consumers at fixed charges; and whether he can state the annual volume of current so retailed?
So far as I am aware, one company only buys electric current in bulk and retails it to consumers in the London area under the system which the hon. Member has in mind. This company is not subject to the provisions applicable to authorised undertakers, and official statistics as to the extent of its operations are therefore not available. I understand, however, that the company, which operates in a number of different districts in the London area, purchased upwards of 11 million units in 1935 for retail to consumers on the fixed price per light system.
Agriculture (Grass-Drying)
asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will state the policy of his Department towards the different processes of grass-drying?
The Ministry and the Agricultural Research Council in collaboration are actively investigating the possibilities of the various grass-drying processes.
Coal Industry (Exports)
asked the Secretary for Mines whether any steps, by way of international agreement or otherwise, are being taken to prevent any serious falling off in future years of coal exports from South Wales; and whether consideration is now being given by his Department to prevent as far as possible future slump conditions in the export of coal?
As I have stated in reply to previous questions, the question of an international coal agreement is primarily one for the coal trade itself; I am sure that they are not neglecting consideration of its possibilities. As regards Governmental action to protect the coal export trade, whether of a particular district or of the country as a whole, I would remind by hon. Friend that one of the principal objectives of the Government has been to safeguard so far as possible by every practicable means, and particularly by commercial negotiations, the share of the United Kingdom in foreign coal markets. The Government will continue to take advantage of every opportunity of furthering this object.
Unemployment
Newport And Newport Docks
asked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the number of employed and unemployed persons in Newport at the latest convenient date, and the numbers at corresponding dates last year and in the years 1930 and 1931?
The following table gives such information as is available:
Newport and Newport Docks Employment Exchanges.
| Year. | Estimated numbers, aged 16–64, insured in July. | Insured Personns, aged 16–64, recorded as unemployed in September. | |
| 1937 | … | Not yet available. | Revised basis of count 4,564* |
| Original basis | |||
| 5,072 | |||
| 1936 | … | 28,430 | 6,791 |
| 1931 | … | 28,830 | 10,444 |
| 1930 | … | 27,370 | 8,972 |
Hosiery Industry
asked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the number of persons registered for employment in the hosiery and underwear trades who were, respectively, unemployed either wholly or partially, at the latest convenient date in October, 1936, showing separate figures for the city of Leicester?
The following table shows the numbers of insured persons in the hosiery (including hosiery underwear) industry, recorded as unemployed (a) in Great Britain and (b) at Leicester, at 13th September, 1937, the latest date for which such figures are available.
| — | Great Britain. | Leicester. |
| Hosiery. | ||
| Aged 16–4 years: | ||
| Wholly unemployed | 3,535 | 700 |
| Temporarily stopped | 5,173 | 1,091 |
| Aged 14 and 15 years | 158 | 1 |
Notes.
(1) Separate statistics of the numbers wholly unemployed and temporarily stopped are not available for persons under the age of 16.
(2) The above figures have been complied in accordance with the revised procedure for counting the unemployed, under which persons subsequently found to be in employment at the date of the count are excluded from the figures. On the original basis the total numbers recorded as unemployed at 13th September in the hosiery industry were 9,620 in Great Britain and 2,142 in Leicester.