asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state when it is anticipated that the information relating to unemployment, ascertained by the census of 1926, will be published, and to state the reason for the delay.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Statistics.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he will state the reason why the statistics in regard to unemployment, as ascertained by the last census, have not been published.
I propose to answer this question and question No. 25 on the Order Paper together.
Statistics in regard to unemployment have, unfortunately, not been ascertained by the last census. The question asked in the census form was in the very general terms—Are you "out-of-work"? The replies given proved on analysis so difficult to reconcile with other census returns, and with other available information, that prolonged and detailed work has been necessary to try and clear up ambiguities and explain discrepancies. Otherwise the returns would be of little value in elucidating the real extent of unemployment. This work is still proceeding, but I have not yet been able to come to any conclusion as to whether the returns can be made to serve a useful public purpose. Our experience has in fact proved much the same as that of Germany, which decided that it was useless to publish the returns received from a question asked in similar terms to ours in a census taken some time before ours. Another leading industrial country has decided, on the basis of the German experiment, that to ask such a question, or any question in terms that could be adopted on a census form, would be a waste of time. While I still hope that a reliable body of information can be made available, I am not in a position to say that this is yet the case.
Is the Minister aware that eighteen months ago he informed me, in reply to a similar question, that statistics would be published within four months of that date?
I had not information at my disposal then with regard to the ambiguities and discrepancies.
Are we to understand that the Minister since learned that there are no statistics to be published?
I say, "While I still hope that a reliable body of information can be made available, I am not in the position to say that that is yet the case." This is a matter which cannot be dealt with in the ordinary way of question and answer. There will be a debate, of which notice has been given, which will lead to the introduction of this as one item, and I propose to speak at some length upon it.