Written Answers
Air-Raid Precautions
asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware of the difficulty that employers of labour experience in ascertaining what are the best methods, and what should be the cost per head of employés affected, in constructing splinter and gas-proof accommodation for workers employed in factories and workshops; and whether he will consider setting up a committee of expert engineers and architects, who could examine schemes and plans and, free of cost, advise on the proper steps that should be taken in this branch of air-raid precautions?
My Department issued Handbook No. 6 entitled "Air Raid Precautions for Factories and Business Premises" which was drawn up in consultation with technical advisers. Further information will be supplied in publications now in preparation. The most practical way of obtaining reasonable protection must differ according to the type and location of buildings, but it is thought that from the general information already supplied employers will be able to work out suitable schemes for their particular circumstances.
Cotton Industry (Workers, Statistics)
asked the Minister of Labour the figures of employment in the cotton industry, manufacturing and spinning sections separately, at the end of each calendar year from the end of 1926 to the end of 1937?
Estimates of the numbers of persons in particular industries
| Year. | Estimated numbers insured (July). | Insured persons recorded as unemployed (December). | ||||||
| Cotton Preparing, Spinning, etc. | Cotton Manufacturing (Weaving, etc.). | Total. | Cotton Preparing, Spinning, etc. | Cotton Manufacturing (Weaving, (etc.). | Total. | |||
| Aged 16 years and over. | ||||||||
| 1926 | … | … | * | * | 574,980 | * | * | 76,554 |
| 1927 | … | … | * | * | 569,950 | * | * | 56,922 |
| Aged 16–64 years. | ||||||||
| 1928 | … | … | * | * | 553,800 | * | * | 61,603 |
| 1929 | … | … | * | * | 554,500 | * | * | 79,632 |
| 1930 | … | … | * | * | 563,850 | * | * | 267,354 |
| 1931 | … | … | * | * | 549,920 | * | * | 150,521 |
| 1932 | … | … | 254,490 | 263,370 | 517,860 | 60,878 | 59,746 | 120,624 |
| 1933 | … | … | 244,000 | 255,840 | 499,840 | 45,178 | 53,185 | 98,363 |
| 1934 | … | … | 229,550 | 237,820 | 467,370 | 44,182 | 51,487 | 95,669 |
| 1935 | … | … | 221,780 | 220,550 | 442,330 | 34,287 | 39,163 | 73,450 |
| 1936 | … | … | 212,260 | 208,510 | 420,770 | 24,159 | 28,111 | 52,270 |
| 1937 | … | … | 209,180 | 199,300 | 408,480 | 33,853† | 30,835† | 64,688† |
| * Separate figures for the cotton preparing, spinning, etc., section and the cotton manufacturing (weaving, etc.) section are not available for years prior to 1932. | ||||||||
| † Comparison of the numbers unemployed for December, 1937, with those for the earlier dates is affected by the introduction in September, 1937, of 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. | ||||||||
China And Japan
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any reply has been received from the provisional government set up in Northern China to the protest of His Majesty's Government against the decree modifying the tariff schedule of the Chinese maritime customs in a sense favourable to Japanese imports into Northern China; and, if so, will he state the nature of this reply?
His Majesty's Government are not in relations with the Peking Provisional Government and the protest was made to the Japanese authorities in North China and by His Majesty's Ambassador
who are insured against unemployment, are available only in respect of the beginning of July in each year. The following table gives for the cotton industry the estimated numbers insured in Great Britain at the beginning of July in each of the years 1926–1937, and the numbers of such persons recorded as unemployed at a date in December of each of those years.
at Tokyo to the Japanese Government. The reply is awaited.
Bombing Of Civilians
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has considered suggesting a conference of nations for the purpose of eliminating the bombing of civil populations from the air and for creating machinery to deal with the violators of this new humane aerial warfare code; and is he prepared to adopt this proposal?
I have nothing at present to add to my statement in the course of the Debate on 2nd February.