§ Mr. BRASSEYasked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that, owing to the fact that the War Office have largely abandoned the use of hand-sewn boots in favour of machine-made boots, there is much unemployment among the hand sewers, many of whom have worked for many years on Government contracts, and are unable to find other employment in the bootmaking industry; and whether he can see his way to increasing the proportion of hand-sewn boots in War Office contracts?
§ Mr. HALDANEThe hon. Member will be aware, from my answer of 22nd February, that our orders for machine-welted boots are comparatively small, and therefore that no part of the lack of work is due to this. The practice of accepting, on Army contracts, boots with either machine or hand-stitched uppers is of long standing, and can scarcely, I think, have occasioned the exceptional degree of unemployment which is said to have, unfortunately, prevailed during the last few months among bootmakers in certain parts of Northamptonshire.