asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if the Census Volume on Unemployment, which he stated on April 17th, 1929, should be ready for publication in four months from that date, is now available, and if he will state also the cause of the protracted delay in publishing this information.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Census Volume on Unemployment.
Pressure of work in the Statistics Branch of my Department has rendered it impossible to complete this and other volumes of the Census within the time expected. A decision to include in the volume dealing with employment a considerable amount of information relating to industries in anticipation of a later volume has necessarily caused some further delay. Moreover, publication of Part I. of the volume relating to age and conjugal conditions had to be advanced in order to make use of a number of combinations of figures already prepared. The Director of Statistics is completing his analysis of the tables contained in the volume dealing with employment, so that, unless something unforeseen occurs, the volume should be ready for publication in the near future. Part II. of the volume on age and conjugal conditions has been deferred to enable the volume dealing with employment to be published first.
In defence of the Statistics Branch of my Department, I feel bound to protest against any suggestion of undue delay in publishing the successive volumes of the Census of population. The rate of publication compares more than favourably with the rate achieved by many other countries having much greater experience in the compilation of Census reports.
Can the Minister state the approximate date by which the volume will be published?
I cannot.
Can the Minister give us even as accurate an estimate as he gave us fourteen months ago?
Yes, certainly.
Will the Minister say if the figures of unemployment are so alarming that the Department does not wish to publish them?
No, they are like the Budget, nothing to cry about.