§ 47. Mr. J. DAVISONasked the Prime Minister whether he has received a resolution from the Seafarers' Joint Council 876 expressing surprise and dissatisfaction at his refusal to receive a deputation from the Council regarding the demand made for the inclusion of seafarers in the Hours of Employment Bill; and whether he will reconsider his decision in this matter?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI thought a better purpose would be served by the Council placing their case before the Ministers in charge of the Hours of Employment Bill, and I therefore arranged for my right hon. Friends the President of the Board of Trade and the Minister of Labour to receive a deputation, which they agreed to do on Friday last at 3 p.m. Since then I received a letter from my hon. Friend the Member for South Shields, urging me, if possible, to attend the meeting. I accordingly wrote to him on the 24th instant to the effect that if at all possible I would endeavour to put in an appearance at the deputation which my right hon. Friends would be receiving from the Council, but that if I failed to attend, and if the Joint Council felt that they could not come to an agreement with the President of the Board of Trade and the Minister of Labour, then I promised to consider the matter further. I now understand that the meeting was cancelled at the Council's request.