Part of Orders of the Day — Supply. — [14TH Allotted Day.] – in the House of Commons at on 30 June 1919.
Assuming that the number of unemployed in the building trade is between 35,000 and 40,000, it would be all the men drawing unemployment pay who described themselves as "previously employed in the building trade." I do not want to cast any reflection upon them, but a large proportion of them probably are men who have never had continuous employment in the building trade, but are men who can be partially used in the trade. They are scattered all over the country—I believe the largest number in any one place would be five or six—and the process of moving a few from each town to any one centre would be a very unwise one. Practically, there is no large reservoir of unemployed men in the building trade.