§ 23. Mr. KIRKWOODasked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the proposal of certain employers in the engineering industry in the Manchester area to reduce the weekly wages of apprentices owing to the fall in the cost-of-living figure, she will take steps to establish a trade board for the purpose of protecting the wages and general conditions of engineering apprentices?
§ Miss BONDFIELDI am afraid that this is not practicable.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODArising from the reply that it is not practicable; the wages of apprentices in the engineering trade are going to be reduced, and there is not protection because the employers say that we have no right to interfere. My supplementary question to the Minister is this: in the event of these apprentices refusing to work under such conditions—and our trade union are against them accepting those conditions—will the Minister see that they are allowed to draw unemployment benefit?
§ Miss BONDFIELDI could not possibly give an answer to a hypothetical question like that.
§ Mr. BUCHANANSeeing that the wage reductions proposed bring these lads below the sweated wage level, will the right hon. Lady not take whatever steps she can to see that this sweated trade is protected?
§ Mr. KIRKWOODThe right hon. Lady says that this question is hypothetical. It is an actual fact. Fancy the Minister of Labour telling me it is a hypothetical question. Does she say that to me? It is not hypothetical at all. It is hypercritical, that is all.