Report of Cabinet Committee,

Page 77

THE UNEMPLOY-- MENT SITUATION.

(Previous

Reference: Cabinet 34

(28), Con- clusion 10.)

THE INDUSTRIAL TRANSFERENCE

BOARD.

(Previous

Reference: Cabinet 16

(28), Con- clusion 9.)

3. The Cabinet had before them a Memorandum

by the Minister of Labour (Paper C.P.-188 (28))

bringing to their notice the unsatisfactory

trend of unemployment figures in the last few

weeks, and pointing out that the general effect

of these figures, which are largely influenced

by the distribution of the coal, cotton and iron

and steel industries, is that the districts with

a relatively low percentage of unemployment are

little worse off or (in the case of London) are

actually better; while the districts with heavy

unemployment, and particularly Wales and the

Northern Counties of England, have become

definitely worse.

The Minister of Labour amplified his

Memorandum by a statement, at the end of which he

proposed that, subject perhaps to the desirability

of awaiting the Report of the Industrial Trans fer-

ence Board, a Cabinet Committee might be appointed

to analyse and appreciate the data in regard to

the serious unemployment situation and to recommend

to the Cabinet measures to be taken to meet the

difficult situation likely to develop during the

winter.

The President of the Board of Trade made a

statement in regard to the serious setback in

trade which had begun at the commencement of the

second Quarter of the year after a most promising

first Quarter, and asked that he might have the

co-operation of the Treasury (Board of Inland

Revenue) and the Ministry of Labour to analyse

the very full reports in the possession of his

Department on the subject, with a view, if possible,

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