§ 47. Sir W. de FRECEasked the Prime Minister the amount of money that has now been voted by the Trade Facilities 2000 Committee, under order of this House, for the promotion of industrial and commercial schemes calculated to stimulate employment; whether it is intended, since unemployment is still acute, to expedite the expenditure of the complete sum during the next few months; and whether he can assure the House that the Committee, being an ad hoc appointment, will not be allowed to become part of permanent Government machinery unless by specific approval of Parliament?
§ The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (Sir Robert Horne)The guarantees recommended by the Trade Facilities Act Advisory Committee, up to the present date, represent a capital sum of £15,693,145, and the Committee is doing everything in its power to hasten the completion of its operations. They have laid down the conditions on which they would be prepared to recommend guarantees for further sums up to the full amount available, and are doing their best to expedite the necessary action on the part of the applicants. The Committee, the Members of which are unpaid, was set up in accordance with the provisions of the Act, and must naturally remain in being so long as applications have to be considered. There is no intention to set up any permanent Committee of this kind.