§ 47. Mr. LANSBURYasked the Prime Minister whether in view of the privation and want prevailing throughout the industrial districts of the country and the breakdown of the Poor Law and other relied agencies as a means for relieving destitution, he will appoint a non-party Committee of this House to consider and immediately report as to the best and most effective methods Parliament can adopt to bring prompt and generous assistance in these cases?
§ 49. Sir HARRY BRITTAINasked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the distress in the mining areas and to the appeal of the Miners' Federation for assistance; and whether it. is proposed to ask Parliament to vote a sum towards relief in those districts?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe Government are fully alive to the conditions prevalent in certain mining areas, and for some time past the situation has been under examination with a view to ensuring that there is no breakdown in the existing legal machinery for dealing with the effects of unemployment. Arrangements are being made by the Lord Mayors of London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Cardiff, in conjunction with other Lord Mayors and Mayors, to develop the existing Lord Mayor's Fund. This fund, with a large number of smaller funds, supplements the legal provision for the mitigation of distress which is being made on a large scale through the Unemployment Insurance Fund and by Poor Law and other local authorities. At the same time every effort is being made to accelerate the policy of transference from these areas. It is not proposed to ask Parliament to vote a, sum for relief, and I do not think that the expedient suggested by the hon. Member for Bow and Bromley would be likely to be helpful.
§ Mr. LANSBURYHas the right hon. Gentleman really inquired into this matter? Is he aware that, not only in the ordinary Liberal and Labour Press, but in the Press representing his own side there are very terrible stories of privation 831 and suffering? Is he also aware that, in addition to the distress in the mining areas, there are over a million men and women unemployed, and that during the cotton famine crisis this House did take steps to alleviate distress in those areas? Is he aware that the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Health have both stopped any assistance to hundreds and thousands of men? About this there can be no question whatever. Why should not this House—
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member is making a speech.
§ Mr. LANSBURYWith very great respect, this is a matter affecting the lives and the well-being of two or three millions of people, and I want to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he thinks that this House, seeing that the Government have failed to deal with it, should not have an opportunity of seeing whether it cannot do something, not merely to give charity on Christmas Day, but to relieve the people now.
§ Mr. CRAWFURDIn view of the very real distress, particularly in South Wales, if the right hon. Gentleman is not completely satisfied that within a very short period the distress has been met, will he give half-a-day for discussion of the subject in the House?
§ The PRIME MINISTERIn answer to what the hon. Member for Bow and Bromley (Mr. Lansbury) said, of course, the Government are watching the whole situation with some anxiety and with every sympathy. We are not satisfied that at present the situation is beyond what can be done through the ordinary channels, supplemented in such manner as I have indicated. The miners' union have issued a very urgent and powerful appeal to the people of this country for assistance, and I have no doubt the people will not fail to respond, as they have not failed in the past. The situation is wholly different to-day, with the work that is carried out by the various Government Departments, from what it was 60 years ago, in the time of the cotton famine.
§ Mr. RAMSAY MacDONALDHave the Government considered whether it would 832 not be possible to give a Treasury grant? If they have considered that, what decision have they come to?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI cannot say yet whether it will be necessary to do that. Of course, it is a situation that is before us all the time. At present, we believe that efforts that are being made are sufficient.
§ Mr. MACKINDERIs not the Prime Minister aware that in the districts where the appeals are being made for help for these people, there are already unemployed who must be dealt with locally, and any response that can be given will be made for the local people, and the money cannot possibly go to South Wales and the other affected districts? Cannot the Prime Minister investigate this matter himself?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI quite understand that, and that is why I laid stress on the appeal to the whole country.
§ Mr. CRAWFURDIf a satisfactory outcome of this business is not arrived at shortly, will the right hon. Gentleman give the House an opportunity of ventilating it more effectively than by means of supplementary questions?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI would remind the hon. Member that there have been very wide opportunities of ventilating the subject during the short time that the House has been sitting.
§ Sir G. DALRYMPLE-WHITEMay I ask whether the children in the necessitous mining areas are being provided with free meals at school?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI shall be much obliged if questions of detail are put to the various departments.
§ Mr. G. HALLIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that, notwithstanding the fact that there is a good deal of work done both by the Ministry of Labour and boards of guardians and various voluntary organisations, the suffering in the mining areas is much greater to-day than it has been at any time in the last 15 years, and I am convinced that if the Prime Minister would send a representative into the distressed areas or make a personal visit to them—because he must realise that in South Wales once a colliery is closed down—
§ Mr. SPEAKERHowever important a subject may be, the hon. Member must realise that we cannot forgo the Rules of the House and permit speeches at Question Time.
§ Mr. HALLI only want to assure the Prime Minister that we have men, women and children who are starving in the distressed areas at the present time.
§ Mr. SHINWELLIs the Prime Minister aware that those who are administering relief on the spot declare that the existing agencies are inadequate for the purpose and will he not therefore make a further investigation with a view to making a grant not unlike grants which have been previously made by the Government to sufferers from distress in foreign countries?
§ The PRIME MINISTERAs I have said, the whole matter is constantly under our consideration. With regard to the allegations of the breakdown in local government, while I should be much obliged if questions of detail were addressed to the Minister of Health, so far as I am advised that is not the case at present.
§ Mr. LANSBURYAs we cannot pursue the matter any further now, I propose with your permission, Mr. Speaker, to raise the subject on the Adjournment to-night.
§ 60. Sir H. BRITTAINasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, with view to affording industries in necessitous areas immediate relief pending the passage into law and the subsequent operation of the Local Government Bill, he will consider making an Exchequer grant towards excessive Poor Law relief expenditure in those areas?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Arthur Michael Samuel)The reduction of freights on selected traffics, which came into operation on Saturday last, represents, in the opinion of the Government, the best method of affording some measure of immediate relief to depressed industries pending the introduction of the full scheme of reform, which, for reasons already explained, cannot be brought into operation earlier than the dates given in the Local Government Bill.