§ 21. Mr. JESSONasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that men employed in mining tin, lead, zinc, barytes, and certain other minerals are unable to procure the rates of wages now being awarded by industrial courts and other arbitrating bodies, and that the 1238 reason alleged is that prices are determined by cheap Chinese labour, cheap and underpaid Spanish and Mexican labour, the labour of negroes in Nigeria, and of Red Indians in Bolivia; whether the result is that every advance in other trades simply renders the position of these miners increasingly worse so that a system of sweating and degradation is arising in consequence; whether the proprietors of the tin, lead, and zinc mines here are also very largely the owners of the mines employing black, yellow, and red labour in the competing countries; and whether, seeing that rich coal mines are compelled to contribute from their earnings towards the cost of working inferior coal mines which but for such contribution could neither pay the standard wages nor continue working, he will prepare a scheme whereby rich tin, lead, etc., mines employing coloured labour in the British Empire shall be compelled to contribute from their excess profits to a wages pool designed to raise lead, zinc, and tin miners' wages in this country to the level of earnings of other miners?
§ The MINISTER of LABOUR (Dr. Macnamara)My hon. Friend is doubtless aware that a Committee which has investigated the whole economic position of the non-ferrous mining industry in this country has recently reported to my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade making certain recommendations. These recommendations are under consideration, and in the meantime arbitration proceedings in respect of the wages of the miners concerned have been held before the Industrial Court, to which the two sides of the Interim Reconstruction Committee for the Non-ferrous Mining Industry were parties. The award of the Court is expected shortly.
§ Mr. SEXTONIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the regulations of the Whitley Council for the Civil Service are likely to prejudice the employment of thousands of ex-service men?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI do not think my hon. Friend's question applies to this question.
§ 86. Mr. JESSONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether an export duty on tin ore or smelted tin is imposed either by the Federated or non-Federated Malay States or the Government of the Straits Settlements; what is the amount 1239 and character of this duty, if any; is it discriminated in any manner in favour of the British Empire and, if so, how; is there an export duty on tin from Nigeria; if so, what is its nature; and can he say whether an export duty has been imposed by the Government of Bolivia on shipments of tin ore?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Bridgeman)There are export duties on tin ore and on smelted tin in the Federated Malay States and the non-Federated States, but not in the Straits Settlements. In the case of tin ore the duty is less when export takes place under guarantee that the ore will be smelted in the Straits Settlements, Australia, or the United Kingdom. In Nigeria there is a royalty on the export of tin, and in Bolivia an export duty on tin ore. The duties generally depend on the price of tin. I am sending the hon. Member a statement setting out in detail the nature and amount of the duties.