§ 41. Mr. LAWSONasked the Secretary for Mines whether the Mines Department have prepared any scheme during the past three years for the transfer of miners from less prosperous to more prosperous districts?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of LABOUR (Mr. Betterton)I have been asked to reply. Arrangements exist for co-operation between my Department and miners' associations in the transfer of unemployed miners to vacancies notified to the Exchanges. No formal schemes of transfer have been prepared.
§ Mr. LAWSONCan the hon. Gentleman say whether in these schemes for transfer arrangements are made as to fares, the removal of the man's furniture, and the supply of housing accommodation in the district?
§ Mr. BETTERTONI am not quite sure that I caught the hon. Member's question.
§ Mr. LAWSONAt the present time, as far as I understand, the scheme men are simply sent to different areas, but very little is done as regards arranging for railway fares, and there are certainly no arrangements for lodging or housing or anything of that kind, either for single or for married men?
§ Mr. BETTERTONThe arrangements in question are arrangements between my Department and the local associations, which endeavour to find out, before sending a man to another district, whether there is a vacancy in that place which he would be likely to be able to fill.
§ Mr. LAWSONIs the hon. Gentleman aware that miners going from Durham, say to Yorkshire or Derbyshire, are often crowded into houses, through no fault of their own or of the people in those par- 530 ticular areas, and can he not see that something is done to meet this immediate demand?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member had better put down a question.