PRIVATE MEMBERS' MOTIONS. (Hansard, 1 June 1927)

§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHY
I must protest against the Motion for the Adjournment being moved after the Government have taken all of private Members' time. When, owing to the good behaviour of the House and the shortness of speeches, we finish all our business before 11 o'clock, even the last nine minutes are filched from the unfortunate private Members. The first Motion on the Paper deals with a very important matter referring to Poor Law relief and the franchise. I disagree with the proposal, but I am democratic and believe in these things being discussed. The second Motion deals with the crucial question of unemployment in the mining industry, and then we have the persistent Motion of the hon. Member for Stone (Mr. Lamb) with reference to the highly important question of tickets and seats, which has been agitating Parliament for many weeks past. This is not the way in which Parliament should be treated, and, as a matter of fact, I am initiating a discussion now, first of all, on the autocratic methods of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury, who, under a disarming smile, hides a very obstinate and autocratic nature, and, secondly, on the state of the Order Paper.

§ Mr. WARDLAW-MILNE
On a point of Order. Is the hon. and gallant Member in order?

§ Mr. DEPUTY-SPEAKER (Mr. James Hope)
The only Question before the House now is whether or not we should adjourn.

§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHY
I think that time should have been given particularly for a discussion of the question of unemployment in the mining areas. The unemployment in some of the—

§ Mr. DEPUTY-SPEAKER
I would point out that the hon. Member in charge of that Motion has not drafted it.

§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHY
I am aware of that, and I am also aware that he is not here, but I do not propose to hand in any written Motion. I only wish to draw attention to the fact that, while we are preparing to get up on Derby night at seven minutes before Eleven o'clock. thousands of men are suffering the direst poverty in the coal districts of the country. The unemployment in the coal-mining industry is worse now than at any time since the end of the War. I have recently had figures given to me showing the immense falling off in the export of coal from the ports of this country, including my own constituency. This is a matter which I am afraid the Government are neglecting. They are not even carrying out the recommendations of those parts of the Samuel Report which were supposed to receive common agreement. with regard to assisting the migration of men from one part of the country to another, and so on. There are hon. Friends of mine who will probably deal with the mining and other questions, and so I will not continue my remarks, but I do think this opportunity should not be lost.