§ 47. Mr. SHORTasked the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence whether, in connection with the organisation of industry for defence purposes, he pro- 1222 poses to consult the general council of the Trades Union Congress?
§ The MINISTER for the CO-ORDINATION of DEFENCE (Sir Thomas Inskip)My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in the Debate on 9th March, while pointing out that the Defence programme will provide for a long period a great amount of additional work for the engineering and shipbuilding trades, the iron and steel trade and other industries, and outlining the industrial problems to which the programme will give rise as it comes into being, made it clear that nothing in the nature of a reorganisation of industry is contemplated. The employers' and work-people's organisations in the industries concerned will no doubt wish to discuss through their joint machinery, any problems in which they are mutually concerned and they may be relied upon to seek consultation with the Government, either directly or through their central organisations, when it appears to them to be desirable.