§ 29. Mr. WATERSONasked the Minister of Labour, seeing that the Government are arranging for dilution in the building trade, if he is prepared to draft legislation to prevent unemployment in such industry; and, if not, what hopes has he that the men employed as dilutees will be able to secure a livelihood in the future?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAUnemployment in the building industry at the present moment is of very small proportions, apart from those occupations which are either particularly liable to seasonal fluctuations in demand or have been specially affected by the shortage of craftsmen in the key trades of the industry. There appears to be no need for special legislation to be adopted for the building industry.
§ Mr. WATERSONAm I to understand that these men, who have been put into the industry and trained somewhat at the expense of the taxpayers, will probably, in the course of two years' time, find themselves on the streets without any employment at all?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAMy hon. Friend is not to understand that at all, and he will understand this rather remarkable fact that, of all the crafts I know of, there are only two, even in the present grave state of industrial depression, where the number of vacancies offered is smaller than the number of men offered. Those two are the bricklayers and the plasterers.
§ Mr. WATERSONIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that some thousands of men have been trained at the Government expense in the boot and shoe industry, and, having been trained, are now on the streets; and is he expecting a similar result from placing these men in the building industry?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI believe that the men whom the boot and shoe industry has very generously allowed us to train are suffering from the heavy weather which industry is at the present time experiencing, though not more than other classes—indeed, less, if anything, I should think, from the figures. What 1794 that has to do with the building industry, however, I do not know.
§ Mr. W. THORNEHas the right hon. Gentleman endeavoured to ascertain from the ex-service men now out of employment the number desiring to serve as apprentices in the building trade?