§ 22. Mr. PERKINSasked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will consider allowing the aircraft industry a bigger share in the inspection of aircraft, with the object of preventing an increase in the staff of the Air Inspection Department?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERIt is the policy of the Air Ministry to delegate as much as possible of the work of inspection to the staff of approved firms, the official inspection staff being used mainly for supervision. The question of further delegation is constantly under review.
§ Mr. MORGAN JONESMay we take it that the Air Ministry still reserves the right to satisfy itself that the product is in accordance with the Air Ministry's specification?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTEROf course, inspection is an absolutely vital part of that process.
§ 23. Mr. PERKINSasked the Secretary of State for Air whether it is his intention to increase the number of inspectors in the Air Inspection Department, and, if so, by how many?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERAn increase in the inspection staff will be necessary, but I am not in a position to give exact numbers. My hon. Friend may rest assured that the numbers will not exceed the minimum really necessary.
§ Mr. PERKINSIs my right hon. Friend aware that at this moment there is a great shortage of highly skilled people in the aircraft manufacturing industry; and does he not realise that to take such people from the aircraft industry into the Air Inspection Department would be to intensify that shortage? Will he not consider the whole situation, with a view to allocating still further responsibility to the manufacturing side of the industry?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERThe next question that I have to answer deals with the subject of shortage of labour. It will be absolutely impossible to put the inspection staff below what is really necessary, but I can assure my hon. Friend that I have been into this question with Lord Weir, who has an unrivalled experience in this matter, and what I am saying represents his view as well as my own.
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI should like notice of that question.
Miss WARDWith regard to the question of shortage of labour, will my right hon. Friend consult with the Minister of Labour as to whether it would be possible to start training any people in the depressed areas?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERMy answer to the next question will indicate to my hon. Friend that we are in very close touch with the Ministry of Labour on that matter.
§ 24. Mr. PERKINSasked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware of the shortage of skilled men in the aircraft 346 industry; and whether, seeing that any increase in the staff of the Air Inspection Department will increase the shortage, he will look further into the matter?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERMy Department is in close touch with the Ministry of Labour, and arrangements are under consideration which will, I hope, help to overcome the difficulty to which my hon. Friend refers.
§ Mr. THORNEWill the right hon. Gentleman put himself in communication with the Amalgamated Engineering Union, and find out from them whether there is any shortage?
§ Mr. BUCHANANIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that a large number of trades are affected, and will he put himself in touch with the official organisations that speak for them, and who could help him in this direction?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERThe Ministry of Labour are very expert in all these matters, and I thought that the most practical thing I could do was to ensure that the liaison between my Department and the Ministry of Labour was complete.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware that the President of the Amalgamated Engineering Union, which I represent, has stated time and again that there is no shortage of skilled labour? The difficulty is that the wages are too low for men who are to be uprooted from their homes and taken all over the place with no guarantee that they are going to be constantly employed.
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI was under the impression that my hon. Friend represented Dumbarton Burghs—
§ Mr. KIRKWOODSo I do, and if you represent your constituency as well as I do mine, you will do well.
§ Mr. LAWSONCould the right hon. Gentleman indicate the districts in which there is a shortage of skilled labour, as that statement is often being made, and there are many people who doubt its reality?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI have not made any statement beyond the statement that my Department and the Ministry of Labour are in the closest and 347 most constant touch, in order to see that every labour vacancy of any kind is filled to the best possible advantage.
§ Mr. LAWSONHas the Air Ministry had any real experience of a shortage of skilled labour?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat question does not arise.