HC Deb 19 April 1934 vol 288 cc1099-102
3. Sir LUKE THOMPSON

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is now in a position to make any further statement as to the intention of the Government to obtain further information concerning the position in the derelict areas?

44. Mr. GEORGE HALL

asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware of the increasing unemployment and distress

The MINISTER of LABOUR (Sir Henry Betterton)

At 19th March, 1934, the number of persons on the registers of Employment Exchanges in the county of Durham (including the associated county boroughs) with claims admitted for insurance benefit and transitional payments were 29,385 and 94,274 respectively.

2. Mr. BATEY

asked the Minister of Labour the total number and percentage of juveniles unemployed in the county of Durham for the week ended 31st, March, 1934, and the corresponding week in 1933?

Sir H. BETTERTON

As the reply includes a number of figures, I will, if I may, circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the statement

The particulars asked for, so far as available, are given in the following table:

in the steam coal areas in South Wales; and whether the Government have any proposals for dealing with this matter?

Sir H. BETTERTON

The Government have for some time been inquiring into the special problem presented by the derelict areas and have decided before proceeding further to have inquiries made in typical places within the districts of Durham, South Wales, Cumberland and Scotland, and for this purpose they have asked the following to make investigations on their behalf:

In Cumberland, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster;

In Durham and Tyneside, the Civil Lord of the Admiralty;

And in South Wales, Sir Wyndham Portal.

I am not yet in a position to give the name of the Scottish investigator, but will do so as soon as possible.

Mr. HALL

Can the right hon. Gentleman say when this inquiry is likely to commence and what interests will be consulted by the persons whom he is asking to hold the inquiry?

Sir H. BETTERTON

The inquiry will I hope commence at once—certainly without any avoidable delay—and it is my intention that the investigators should consult every interest from whom they think they will be able to get useful information.

Mr. LAWSON

Will the right hon. Gentleman say whether the object of the inquiry is to find alternative occupations for the surplus population; and is he not aware that already there has been a survey of all these areas which showed definitely the amount of surplus population, and also that there has been the recent inquiry by the "Times" special correspondent?

Sir H. BETTERTON

What the hon. Gentleman says is true about the surveys which were made some years ago. I think the report is about three years old and a very valuable report it is. With regard to the recent inquiry to which the hon. Gentleman refers, that only applied to one area. Each area may, and I think does, present a different problem. I want the entire problem surveyed as a whole, and certainly I hope that that will be one of the objects of the inquiry.

Mr. GRAHAM WHITE

Will this inquiry be limited strictly to the districts which the right hon. Gentleman has mentioned, or will the commissioners have power to deal with any isolated districts which they think ought to be brought within the scope of the inquiry?

Mr. CHORLTON

Will the inquiry also refer to the eastern districts of Lancashire—the cotton districts?

Sir H. BETTERTON

I hope I shall not be pressed to go any further at present than I have gone. I shall be willing, later on, to consider the other questions raised, but I want a report on these particular areas first.

Mr. LAWSON

Will a report of the result of the investigation be published?

Sir H. BETTERTON

The answer to that question is "no," and for this reason. If I rightly visualise the help which I hope to get from the inquiry, I think that some—perhaps the most valuable—of the information will be verbal. Therefore, to publish any written communications made to the Government would be misleading rather than otherwise.

Mr. BATEY

Will the Minister tell us what use there is in making an investigation like this when the Government already have all the information? Is it not simply wasting time?

Sir MURDOCH McKENZIE WOOD

Can the Minister say what parts of Scotland will be the subject of investigation?

Sir H. BETTERTON

The areas which I had in mind were certain areas of Lanarkshire and possibly also some parts, of Fife, but principally the distressed mining areas of Lanarkshire.