asked the Minister of Labour what are the latest available figures of unemployment, giving males and females, in the Stornoway employment exchange area; what percentage the total is of the insurable population; and whether he has any estimate of the numbers which are not likely to be employment again because of age or other disabilities.

At 14th July the numbers of insured unemployed registered at Stornoway employment exchange were 1,094 males and 35 females. The total of 1,129 represented 21 per cent. of the estimated total number of insured persons in the area at July, 1946. I have no knowledge of any persons on the Stornoway register not likely to be employable again because of age or other disabilities