§ Sir HERBERT SAMUEL(by Private Notice) asked the Prime Minister whether the statement on the subject of public works made by the President of the Board of Trade to the International Monetary and Economic Conference on 13th July supersedes the statement made by the Prime Minister jointly with President Roosevelt at Washington on 26th April, to the effect that enterprise must be stimulated by creating conditions favourable to business recovery and that Gov- 1538 ernments can contribute by the development of appropriate programmes of capital expenditure; and if not, what steps have been or are being taken by the Government for the development of such a programme for the United Kingdom?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe statement made by my right hon. Friend to the Economic Commission of the International Conference was directed primarily to the proposal made by the International Labour Office that facilities should be given for the issue of international loans to finance schemes of public works in Eastern Europe. As regards public works in this country the policy of His Majesty's Government is in no way altered. They are providing, or assisting to provide, finance for schemes of a remunerative or necessary character, e.g. slum clearance. But during the past 10 years a very large amount of capital expenditure has been incurred on public works of all kinds, with disappointing results, and the scope for useful schemes is now comparatively limited. It was fully recognised during 'the discussions at Washington that each Government must decide the nature of the programme of public works that it considers appropriate.
§ Mr. LANSBURYWhat is the reference to Eastern Europe which we are to gather from the statement of the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Trade at the World Economic Conference. Has it any reference to the £100,000,000, spent on public works in this country, which, he said, was not a profitable way of dealing with unemployment?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI refer when I say "our own country" to our own experiments. That was fully explained by me to President Roosevelt when we were at Washington.
§ Mr. LANSBURYAre we to take it that there is to be no expansion of public works by the Government to attempt in any way to meet the position?
§ The PRIME MINISTERNo, I said that our policy is unaltered. The matter was debated, and a very full statement on the subject was made by the Minister of Health.
§ Sir H. SAMUELHave the Government in fact any appropriate programme 2B 1539 of capital expenditure such as was referred to in the statement signed by the right hon. Gentleman and President Roosevelt?
§ The PRIME MINISTERCertainly. The expression used in that statement was "appropriate programmes." The appropriate programme of the Government is the one which has been announced from time to time.
§ Mr. LANSBURYAs the right hon. Gentleman will be a. little freer within the next few days, I wish to give him notice that we shall give him an opportunity to tell the country the appropriate programme.