§ 14. Mr. HALL-CAINEasked the Lord Privy Seal which town in Great Britain has submitted the largest schemes for the relief of unemployment, and the amount and the number of men employed on those schemes?
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYCould not this be made known so as to stimulate a little healthy emulation?
Mr. THOMASIt is very difficult to determine what is the largest scheme. A scheme may be very important and may provide considerable employment in one area, which, as regards rateable valuation, and debt and so on, would be 1053 nothing proportionately when compared with another area, so that the mere money involved is not always the best test.
§ Mr. MACQUISTENIs it not the case that the population and the size of the town are other items to be taken into consideration in this matter?
§ 17. Captain PETER MACDONALDasked the Lord Privy Seal whether, seeing that he has sanctioned work schemes amounting to £50,000,000, and of this sum only £5,000,000 worth of work is under way, he proposes to take any steps to accelerate putting work in hand; and, if so, what is their nature?
Mr. THOMASThe estimated cost of the schemes approved to the end of March under the Development Act, the Colonial Development Act and the road programme is over £70,000,000. I am doing all that is humanly possible to speed up these schemes.
§ Captain MACDONALDIs it not a fact that the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and his colleagues have some definite views as to how this should be speeded up?
§ 19. Major NATHANasked the Lord Privy Seal the number by which he estimates that the unemployed will be reduced at 30th June, 30th September, and 31st December, 1930, respectively, by reason of the works approved in connection with unemployment as set out in the recent White Paper, Cmd. 3529?
Mr. THOMASApart from the inherent difficulty of framing any estimate, due to the large proportion of indirect employment involved, it would be misleading the House to attempt to give any figure having regard to the inevitable difficulties encountered both in Parliament and outside in bringing schemes into operation.
§ Major NATHANIn view of the fact that the White Paper which I hold in my hand is entitled, "Statement of Works approved for Government financial assistance in connection with unemployment," is the right hon. Gentleman unable to relate the financial assistance to unemployment?
Mr. THOMASThe question has no bearing upon the financial assistance. The question put by the hon. and gallant 1054 Gentleman is as to the number. The difficulty of answering that question is that included in that White Paper is a scheme for £3,000,000 which a Committee upstairs has just rejected. Included in it also are a number of other schemes which are still before Committees upstairs, and it is not for me to give a figure until I know exactly what the Committees will agree to.
§ Major NATHANIs the right hon. Gentleman unable to give the House any guidance as to the extent to which unemployment is expected to be reduced by reason of these proposals?
Mr. THOMASYes, if the hon. and gallant Member or anyone else in the House will take the responsibility of assuring me what different Committees of the House of Commons may do with the schemes.