§ 46. Mr. BATEYasked the Prime Minister if he intends to introduce legislation to amend the Miners' Minimum Wage Act, 1912?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe Government has no such Bill under consideration.
§ Mr. BATEYIs the Prime Minister aware that last Friday a private Member's Bill dealing with this subject was rejected on the advice of the Government, and is he not aware of the urgent need of something being done to amend the Minimum Wage Act?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI think that my hon. Friend is drawing upon his imagination. The Government did not reject the Bill last Friday.
§ Mr. T. SMITHIs the Prime Minister aware of the terribly low wages in existence in some of the coalfields, and may we have an assurance that the matter will be dealt with in one way or another?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe Government are very well aware of what my hon. Friend has said in the first part of his question, but he knows perfectly well that, if he studies the Bills which have been produced from time to time to remedy this great evil, the differences of opinion are more conspicuous than the agreements.
§ Mr. SMITHIs the Prime Minister aware that ever since the Miners' Minimum Wage Act was put upon the Statute Book in 1912 there has been no amendment of it?
§ The PRIME MINISTERYes, since 1912.
§ Mr. PALINGCan the Prime Minister state when he is likely to be in a position to give as much sympathetic consideration to the miner as he is to the building of armaments, for instance?
§ Mr. BATEYIs the Prime Minister aware that I did not say that the Government rejected the Bill last Friday? I said that the Bill was rejected on the advice of the Government through the Secretary of Mines.
§ The PRIME MINISTERMy information is that that is not accurate.