§ 88. Mr. KIRKWOODasked the Minister of Health whether he will introduce legislation to provide that persons evicted from their homes owing to unemployment arising out of the present industrial depression shall be provided with accommodation elsewhere than in workhouses?
Sir H. YOUNGI am afraid that I could not undertake to introduce legislation of the kind indicated by the hon. Member.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware of the fact that the Secretary of State for Scotland said that these people could go to the public assistance committee, and is he aware that all the public assistance committee can do is to send them to the workhouse? Will the right hon. Gentleman take steps to give them alternative accommodation?
Sir H. YOUNGThe question as the hon. Member says is one of alternative accommodation. I fear that any such action as he suggests would only tend to postpone the solution of the housing problem still further.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODSurely, when we have figures produced this morning that there are a quarter-of-a-million building trade workers unemployed, and that they are drawing unemployment insurance benefit, it would be to their advantage to put them to work building houses instead of sending them to the workhouse.