3. Captain CROOKSHANKasked the Minister of Labour whether the Government proposes to bring agricultural labourers within the scope of unemployment insurance?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONThe Government's proposal is that the Unemployment Insurance Statutory Committee to be set up under the Unemployment Bill should as soon as possible make a report containing such proposals as may seem to them practicable for the insurance of agricultural workers against unemployment.
Captain CROOKSHANKCan the right hon. Gentleman say why the Government should not give a lead in this Parliament and take a decision on the matter?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONIt may be that after we have had this report there will be an opportunity.
§ Sir H. BETTERTONIt will be one of the first questions we shall ask this committee to consider, and therefore I do not think it will be long.
§ Captain Sir WILLIAM BRASSCan my right hon. Friend tell the House how long this Committee will take before it comes to a decision?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONNo, I cannot possibly do that. Obviously, they must consider representations from all sides; otherwise, their report would be valueless.
§ Sir W. BRASSSurely the right hon. Gentleman has some idea whether it will be six months or a year
§ Sir H. BETTERTONMy hon. and gallant Friend can judge as well as I can how long the consideration of a complicated question of this kind will take.