§ 19. Sir K. WOODasked the Lord Privy Seal whether the Government propose to introduce proposals for the retirement and pension of aged workers from industry?
§ Sir K. WOODIs there any foundation for the statement that the Cabinet Committee have now devolved this matter upon the Cabinet Insurance Committee?
§ Sir K. WOODIs it true?
§ Sir K. WOODIs the statement true without reference to anything else?
Mr. THOMASIf the hon. Member will put down a question on the subject I shall be delighted to answer it.
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAMay I ask whether it is still the view of the right hon. Gentleman that the pensioning of aged workers will help to solve the unemployment problem?
§ Mr. SPEAKERWe are getting far away from the question on the Paper.
§ 22. Mr. BUCHANANasked the Lord Privy Seal, if he is aware of the need for pensions to be granted to persons of 60 years of age and of over 30s. weekly who agree to give up their jobs; and if he intends to legislate in this direction?
Mr. THOMASI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on this subject on 21st January to my hon. Friend the Member for Brecon and Radnor (Mr. Freeman).
§ Mr. BUCHANANIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that his colleague on the Committee of the Government which 827 is considering unemployment has stated in this House that the Cabinet Committee have now reported. In view of the statement of the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland in Glasgow, will he now say what is the position of the Government seeing that members of the Government are now advocating this scheme?
Mr. THOMASI had an opportunity of reading the speech to which the hon. Member refers just before I came into the House, and I put it most respectfully to him that it does not quite bear the interpretation he has put upon it.
§ Mr. BUCHANANIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that we were told in this House that the Cabinet Committee had reported? Has it reported; and is the statement of the Under-Secretary of State on the question of unemployment, in accord with his own views, and with Cabinet policy?
Mr. THOMASThe question of the hon. Member is:
To ask the Lord Privy Seal, if he is aware of the need for pensions to be granted to persons of 60 years of age and of over 30s. weekly who agree to give up their jobs; and if he intends to legislate in this direction?I have answered that, as I have said last week; and I have drawn attention to that answer now.
§ Mr. BUCHANANAre we never going to get an answer? That is no answer at all.
§ Mr. STEPHENI desire to give notice that I shall raise this question on the Adjournment, at the first available occasion.