§ 32. Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKasked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking to secure the transfer of unemployed miners from one district to another, and for giving such miners the first chance of obtaining colliery employment either in their own district or elsewhere in preference to the recruiting of outside labour?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDI would refer by Noble Friend to the reply given on Monday last to a, similar question by the hon. Member for North-East Derbyshire, of which I am sending him a copy.
§ Mr. MARDY JONESMay I ask when the right hon. Gentleman is going to place these proposals on the Table of the House; as he promised to do in the recent Debate?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDI am expecting to have these proposals within a very few days—either at the end of this week or the beginning of next.
§ Mr. JONESWill these proposals cover the point raised in the question? Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that some of the larger collieries are refusing to employ their own miners since the stoppage and are victimising them?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDThe proposals I have to make are those which I intimated to the House. I hope to lay and probably confer with the miners' organisations with regard to them. That is the procedure I propose to carry out. I have no doubt that those who are com- 1994 petent to represent the different parties will bring before me any considerations which they may have to urge.