HC Deb 17 February 1926 vol 191 cc1938-40
Mr. N. MACLEAN

I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely, "the illegal action of the Minister of Labour in placing the Employment Exchanges at the service of the. Industrial Research Fatigue League, and asking unemployed women to undergo medical examination in a manner that leads these women to believe they will lose benefit if they refuse."

Mr. SPEAKER

First of all, in reply to the hon. Member, if there be any illegal action, the Courts are open, and the Minister can be brought to book in that way. With regard to the matter itself, I cannot hold that it is a question sufficiently definite urgent public importance to come under the Rule.

Mr. MACLEAN

If I delete the word "illegal" Mr. Speaker, will that make the wording better?

Mr. KIRKWOOD

Can you give us a form of words?

Mr. SPEAKER

I am always anxious to help hon. Members if I can do so.

Mr. MACLEAN

In what way can we meet the point, and move this Motion for Adjournment when the Exchanges are being used in this manner, and where women are being led to believe that unless they submit they will lose their unemployment benefit? I want to know in what way I can arrange the Motion to bring it before this House so as to obtain the Adjournment?

Mr. SPEAKER

The hon. Member has not submitted his Motion in writing, and that makes it difficult for me to rule. I can only deal with it as he read it out. It does not seem to come under the Rule in regard to definiteness, and after the Questions and Answers we have had, I do not see how it can be made out to be urgent.

Mr. MACLEAN

Does the Motion not state definitely enough that the Ministry of Labour are doing something definite that is injurious to hundreds and thousands of women who are signing on at the Employment Exchanges, that we hold that this is not part of the work of the Employment Exchanges, and that we are calling in question the action of the Ministry in doing this particular thing.

Mr. SPEAKER

I cannot argue the matter with the hon. Member.

Ballot for Notices of Motion.

Colonel WEDGWOOD

May I put this Motion for the Adjournment in other terms?