§ MR. KEIR HARDIEI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, having regard to the urgency of providing adequate machinery for dealing with unemployment and the distress arising there from, and to the practical breakdown of the efforts of the London Central and other unemployed relief committees owing to lack of funds, he will give the measure for dealing with unemployment promised in the King's Speech priority over other measures referred to therein.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI understand there is some exaggeration m the statement with which the hon. Gentleman's Question begins. The work of the Committee has not broken down for lack of funds, though undoubtedly I should like the amount of those funds to be increased. As regards the further Question about the order of legislation, I agree with the hon. Gentleman that it is important that a Bill should pass in the course of the present session, but I do not think it very important at what period of the session it passes. What is desirable is that the machinery should be in operation before the next period of distress is likely to become acute.
§ MR. CROOKS (Woolwich)Will any effort be made on the part of the Government to supplement the funds at present in the hands of the Central Committee? Otherwise we shall have the whole of the people starving.
§ MR. A.J. BALFOURI hope that will not be the case; but, as the hon. Gentleman will readily see, it will not be remedied by the Bill in any event.