§ 35. Mr. REMERasked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the intimation which was given that the last ballot on the cotton spinning redundancy question was a ballot on general principles only, and that a further ballot would be taken on the details of the scheme before the Government would proceed to pass the Cotton Spinning Industry Bill into law, whether he will give an undertaking not to proceed with the Second Reading until a further ballot has taken place?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANOn 19th December last I said, in reply to a question by the hon. Member for Oldham (Mr. Crossley) that, if the scheme for the elimination of surplus spindles received the support of a sufficiently influential proportion of the trade, I should be prepared to ask Parliament for statutory sanction for the collection of the necessary levy. The draft scheme drawn up by the Colwyn Committee has received that support, and, accordingly, the Cotton Spinning Industry Bill has been introduced. I am doubtful of the practical utility of a ballot of the industry on the details of 22 the Bill, and I fear I cannot promise to await such a ballot.
§ Mr. REMERIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that when the Bill was in progress Mr. Adamson the liaison officer between the industry and the Government, wrote a letter to the effect that they must vote on the details before they were finally committed to it; and is he aware that they have never voted on the details but only on the general principles?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI think that a vote on that subject must be regarded as decisive.
§ Mr. HERBERT WILLIAMSIs it the case that the Bill will not be proceeded with?
§ Mr. CHORLTONWhen will the Second Reading of the Bill take place?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThat question should be addressed to the Leader of the House.