§ 57. Mr. KIRKWOODasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state what action the Government intends to take to secure the resumption of work on the Cunarder; if they are prepared to give financial assistance to the Cunard Company to enable the work to be resumed without delay; what negotiations have taken place with the Cunard Company; and is there any possibility of an agreement being reached?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe position in this matter has not changed since the answer which I gave to my hon. Friend in this House on the 8th March.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODThen the House is to take it that the Government have taken up the position that they are just going to allow things to drift, that they are going to do nothing in order to relieve the hellish conditions that prevail in my constituency and throughout the rest of the country. I want a reply. I want to know if that is the position that the Government are going to take up. 321 They are going to do nothing. [HON. MEMBERS: "Speech!") Of course, I am going to make a speech. I want a reply from the President of the Board of Trade. I put the question down to the Prime Minister, and it has been turned over to the President of the Board of Trade. I want to know if he is in a position to reply. [Interruption.] All I can say to that laugh is that an athiest' s laugh is a poor exchange for Deity offended. They are offending the working-classes, and the working-classes will see to it what they will do to them in the near future. You can take that from me.