asked the Minister of Labour the number of prosecutions instituted by his Department for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date against employers for failing to stamp the unemployment insurance cards of their employés?

The number of employers prosecuted during 1928 for failure to stamp or for unlawful detention of unemployment books was 681. In the majority of these cases there was failure to stamp the books, but I regret that I am unable to supply separate figures. In addition 149 persons were prosecuted for affixing previously used stamps to unemployment books.

Will the hon. Gentleman consider amending the Act so that the penalties can be made higher, because many of the fines that have been inflicted on employers do not cover the amounts that they have saved by not having the books kept?

There is no question at the moment of any amending legislation, and no doubt every relevant consideration will be taken into account when such legislation is proposed.