§ 19. Sir ARTHUR STEEL-MAITLANDasked the Minister of Labour whether any reasons have been assigned to the Government by the Royal Commission on Unemployment Insurance for their inability to proceed more quickly with the inquiry?
§ Miss BONDFIELDI would refer the right hon. Baronet to the statements I made on the Second Reading of the Unemployment Insurance Bill on 18th February.
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDHas the Minister no more recent information to give to the House with regard to the Speed of the inquiry or the probability of there being an interim report?
§ Miss BONDFIELDI said before that we were doing everything we could, and that the Commission were doing everything they could to expedite matters.
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDHas nothing been done to expedite it since then?
§ 20. Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDasked the Minister of Labour if she will state when the National Confederation of Employers and the Trade Union Council, respectively, were first approached by the Government with the object of their giving evidence before the Royal Commission on Unemployment Insurance?
§ Miss BONDFIELDThe Government have not approached either of the bodies named for the purpose stated, but I am informed that invitations were sent to them by the Royal Commission on 9th January.
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDCan the Minister give any reason why an invitation was not issued at an earlier date, seeing that the Commission was instituted early in December?
§ Miss BONDFIELDThey met on the 19th December, and I think what I have said shows that there cannot have been very much delay.
§ Sir K. WOODIs not the real complaint that this body has been such a long time presenting its evidence?