HC Deb 30 November 1927 vol 211 cc482-5
19. Mr. BATEY

asked the Minister of Labour whether provision is being made for the employment of unemployed workmen on the making of new roads and other relief schemes during the winter months; and the number of men that will be so employed?

Mr. BETTERTON

As the answer is long, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, publish it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. BATEY

Will the hon. Gentleman not tell us briefly what the answer is?

Mr. BETTERTON

It is a very long answer.

HON. MEMBERS

Circulate it!

Mr. WILFRID PALING

What does the answer mean?

Mr. LAWSON

Cannot the hon. Gentleman read the answer? It is a matter of very great importance to great masses of workmen.

Mr. BETTERTON

I am in the hands of hon. Members. The answer is:

With regard to the provision of new roads, as stated in the reply which was given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport, to the hon. Member for the Tamworth Division (Sir E. Iliffe) on the 22nd instant, in spite of the completion of many of the principal items in the arterial road programme, there remains a balance of about £15 millions to be met in respect of road works expedited for the relief of unemployment and still in progress. Of this total about £10 millions remain to be paid in grants from the Road Fund. There are other large works in progress or in prospect which are not included in the above figures, and it must also be borne in mind that in allocating the revenues of the Road Fund it has been necessary to have regard to the growing burden of maintenance which falls upon the local authorities. As to other relief schemes, local authorities, in areas where unemployment is exceptional, may apply to the Unemployment Grants Committee for State assistance towards works expressly accelerated to relieve unemployment. It is not possible to state how many men will obtain employment on relief schemes during the coming winter. The number employed on the 29th October, 1927, on major schemes of road improvement and construction assisted by the Ministry of Transport, and on relief schemes assisted by the Unemployment Grants Committee was 24,010.

Mr. T. WILLIAMS

Are the restrictions imposed upon the Unemployment Grants Committee in 1925 being relaxed in any way as a result of the exceptional period of unemployment both in the North of England and South Wales?

Mr. BETTERTON

The hon. Member will recall that the circular to which he refers entails two conditions which are: first, that the unemployment is exceptional, and, second, that work is accelerated. The circular is still in operation.

Mr. WILLIAMS

In view of the financial situation in the affected areas, does the hon. Gentleman not think the time has arrived when he ought to relax the restrictions applied to the Unemployment Grants Committee in 1925?

Mr. LAWSON

Are we to infer from the hon. Gentleman's answer that there are to be no new roads during next winter; and is it not the duty of the Minister of Labour to ascertain how many men are likely to be employed?

Mr. BETTERTON

With regard to the first part of the hon. Gentleman's question, I said in my statement in reply that there are other large works in progress or in prospect which are not included in the figures given and that it must also be borne in mind that, in allocating the revenues of the Road Fund, it has been necessary to have regard to the growing burden of maintenance which falls upon the local authorities.

Mr. BATEY

I understand from the answer that there were 24,000 employed in September. Can the hon. Gentleman tell us whether that number will be increased or decreased during the winter months?

Mr. BETTERTON

I could not answer that question without notice.

20. Mr. TREVELYAN THOMSON

asked the Minister of Labour the number of men at present employed on the various relief works subsidised by the Unemployment Grants Committee, and the number similarly employed a year ago?

Mr. BETTERTON

According to returns received, 11,656 men were employed on the 29th October, 1927, the latest date for which statistics are available, on relief schemes approved by the Unemployment Grants Committee. The number employed on the 30th October, 1926, was 17,180.

Mr. PALING

Will the hon. Gentleman say how those figures square with the answer he gave a few moments ago that schemes of work were being increased in this country, seeing that there is a reduction of about 6,000 in the number of men?

Mr. BETTERTON

If the hon. Gentleman will refer to that answer when he sees it in print, he will find that it is in no way inconsistent with what I said just now.

Mr. PALING

Does the answer given a few minutes ago mean that there are no schemes of work being provided?

Mr. BETTERTON

No, Sir, it does not mean anything of the kind. The answer which I have just given states that there are at present about 11,656 men.

Mr. T. WILLIAMS

Is the hon. Member not aware that that figure shows that there has been a reduction of 6,000 people in 1927, as compared with 1926, and does he not think that more rather than fewer schemes ought to be started to provide work?

Mr. BETTERTON

That is a question of policy with which I cannot deal now.