§ 46. Major COHENasked the Prime Minister whether, seeing that he at the recent General Election pledged himself to support the proposal of the British Legion for the setting up of a national employment committee to advise upon and recommend to the Government employment schemes of public utility, such committee to be non-party in composition, representative in character, and having purely advisory powers, he will now state when he intends to call into being such committee?
§ 56. Mr. COMYNS-CARRasked the Prime Minister whether he is prepared to adopt the resolution passed by numerous branches of the British Legion urging the immediate setting up of a national employment committee to investigate and to recommend to the Government employment schemes of public utility on a scale commensurate with the present problem of unemployment?
§ 60. Lieut.-Colonel RUDKINasked the Prime Minister whether he is prepared to adopt the suggestion of the British Legion and to immediately set up a national employment committee to investigate and to recommend to the Government employment schemes of public utility on a scale commensurate with the present problem of unemployment?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI would refer the hon. Members to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal on Tuesday last in reply to a question by the hon. Member for Brighton (Mr. Rawson). As stated therein, the committee referred to is prepared to examine any proposals that may be submitted to it. In this way the Government is dealing with the matter more expeditiously than by the other means.
§ 47. Major COHENasked the Prime Minister whether, seeing that he, at the time of the General Election, pledged himself to support the policy of the British Legion that in Government and municipal employment and in all schemes for employment financed or controlled by the national or local authorities or guaranteed under the Trade Facilities Act ex-service men should be given preference, he will now undertake to secure that in all schemes as above, with the exception of those under the Trade Facilities Act, and for all unskilled labour in schemes set up under the Trade Facilities Act, 75 per cent. of the men to be employed shall be ex-service men?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe Government have already announced that there is to be no change in the arrangement by which 75 per cent. of the men employed on relief works are to be ex-service men. As regards the Trade Facilities Act, I should say that the Trade Facilities Act Advisory Committee do, in fact, address 37 a request to all companies assisted under the Act that they should do everything in their power to observe a 75 per cent. preference for ex-service men.
§ Dr. MACNAMARAWould the right hon. Gentleman kindly look at the last part of the question, where it is suggested that, for all unskilled labour in schemes set up under the Trade Facilities Act, 75 per cent. of the men employed shall be ex-service men? Is that carried out?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI understand that that is covered by the answer I have given, but, if that should not be so, I should assume that the matter is carried out. I shall be very glad to have the question repeated.
§ Mr. HOGGEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in some cases it is impossible to get the 75 per cent. of ex-service men, and that, therefore, other unemployed men cannot be taken on for the work? Can he say what proposals he would make in regard to that?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI may say, as regards the 75 per cent., as much interest is taken in election pledges, that I specially pointed out that circumstances might arise when so many as 75 per cent. of ex-service men could not be got, and that in those circumstances I would keep myself free to employ to the full extent unemployed men who desired to do the work. To that extent I understand that this is being carried out.
§ Mr. WALLHEADDoes the right hon. Gentleman recognise that in many districts where men were kept at their respective trades in lieu of service in the Army, this regulation acts with exceeding hardship and is causing a great deal of distress among deserving unemployed men, and can he see his way to altering the regulation at the earliest possible moment?
§ The PRIME MINISTERWhenever representations of that nature are made, my hon. Friend can rest assured that the Department responsible will take them into full consideration, but it must be clearly understood that the main and guiding pledge is the pledge of 75 per cent., and that all the other cases will be exceptions, necessary in the circumstances, to that.