§ 16. Sir COOPER RAWSONasked the Minister of Health what action, if any. he proposes to take with regard to the protest unanimously passed by the Whitley Joint Council for the West Midland roadstone quarry industry, representing employers and employés, at Ludlow, on the 2nd February, against the action of the Clun Rural District Council in quarrying and supplying roadstone to the Salop County Council and to the Bishop's Castle Corporation, particularly in view of the fact that the Clun Rural District Council paid wages at a lower rate than the rate fixed by the Joint Industrial Council and recognised as standard rates for the district?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI understand that this matter has been fully inquired into quite recently by my right hon. Friend the Minister the Minister of Transport, who came to the conclusion that it was not a case which called for his intervention. As the matter stands I have no power to intervene.
§ Sir C. RAWSONIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that I submitted the question to him, because I did not get a satisfactory reply from the Minister of Transport, and in order that he might make his own individual inquiries? Is he also aware that this local authority is not only paying less than the trade union rate of wages, but is underselling private enterprise and, in addition, is breaking the law by selling material to other local authorities.