§ 42. Mr. BATEYasked the Minister of Labour whether the new regulations for unemployment assistance will be published before the House rises for the Whitsuntide Recess?
§ Mr. BATEYCan the Parliamentary Secretary state whether it is the intention of the Ministry to make any statement before the House rises for Whitsuntide as to the reason for not introducing the Regulations?
§ Lieut.-Colonel MUIRHEADI understand that a question on the subject is to be answered by the Prime Minister to-morrow.
§ Mr. JAMES GRIFFITHSIf no Regulations are to be issued, what is the good of keeping the Unemployment Assistance Board?
§ Lieut.-Colonel MUIRHEADNobody has said that no Regulations are to be issued.
Mr. J. J. DAVIDSONIf the hon. and gallant Gentleman's Department is not capable of coping with the problem, will he not ask assistance from some of the other Members of the Cabinet?
§ Lieut.-Colonel MUIRHEADWe are capable.
§ Mr. ATTLEEMay I ask the Prime Minister whether the House is to have any information on these Regulations before the Whitsuntide Adjournment?
§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Baldwin)A question is to be put to me to-morrow when I shall answer it.
§ Mr. SHINWELLIs it not desirable to have an answer to the question to-day? Why should we have all this shocking delay in connection with these Regulations? Is the Prime Minister afraid to submit the Regulations?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI have answered the question of the Leader of the Opposition, and I imagine that he does not desire anyone else to ask supplementary questions on it.
§ Mr. BATEYI give notice that at the end of questions I shall ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House owing to the unsatisfactory nature of the answer.
§ At the end of Questions—
§ Mr. BATEYrose in his place, and asked leave to move the Adjournment of the House for the purpose of calling attention to a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely, "The failure of the Minister of Labour to bring before the House the new Regulations for unemployment assistance."
I would draw your attention, Mr. Speaker, to the question which I put to-day and the answer that was given. The answer means that it is not the intention of the Minister of Labour to publish the new Regulations before the House rises for the Whitsuntide Recess, and any answer which the Prime Minister will give to-morrow, if he takes the usual course, will be merely to refer the hon. Member who asks the question to the answer given to-day. The Minister has definitely said to-day that these Regulations are not to be published before the Whitsuntide Recess. We ought to have had the Regulations last year. There is no justification for their being put off week after week and month after month. I sincerely ask that you should give us permission to move the Adjournment of the House in order that we may be able to get to know the Government's reason for not introducing these new Regulations.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member asks leave to move the Adjournment of the House to call attention to a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely, "The failure of the Minister of Labour to bring before this House the 1627 new Regulations for Unemployment Assistance." That Motion does not appear to me to carry out any of the rules set out in Standing Order No. 8 as regards the Adjournment of the House on a definite matter of urgent public importance, and therefore I cannot grant leave to move it.
§ Mr. BATEYBut there can be no question that this is a matter of urgent public importance. There can be no argument about that. Besides, unless the House can be given this opportunity when can the House debate the failure of the Government to introduce these new Regulations? We have had the Adjournment of the House on occasions in the past, and I submit that we are entitled on a matter like this to have the Adjournment of the House in order that we may debate the question.
§ Mr. THURTLEBefore you reply, Mr. Speaker, may I ask you, with great respect, to indicate to the House whether it is on the ground that the matter is not definite that you are unable to accept the Motion, or is it that the matter is not of urgent importance?
§ Mr. SPEAKERIt certainly is not definite, and the question is going to be answered to-morrow.
§ Mr. SHINWELLMay I ask your guidance on this point, Mr. Speaker? Have hon. Members on these and other benches who are concerned in this matter no redress against the constant and vexatious delays, for which the Government are responsible, in submitting these Regulations to the House? Have we not had several promises in recent months from the Minister of Labour, from the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour and from the Prime Minister himself that these Regulations would shortly come before the House, and in view of these constant delays and the friction which is resulting in consequence, are we not entitled to ask for some means of raising this issue on the Floor of the House?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThere are several means by which the question can be raised in the House.
§ Mr. SHINWELLWe have been told by the Parliamentary Secretary to-day 1628 that the Regulations are not to be presented to the House before the Whitsuntide Recess, and we have no guarantee from the Prime Minister when they will come before the House. is it not the case, therefore, that there are no means of raising the matter?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe question can be raised on the Adjournment of the House; but in regard to this particular Motion I can only carry out the Standing Orders.
§ Mr. MANDERI beg to give notice that I shall raise this matter on the Adjournment at the earliest opportunity.
§ Mr. HARDIEEver since this House was constituted at the last election there have been definite periods of promise and the last promise was that the Regulations were to be submitted in the spring—
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member cannot debate that now.
§ Earl WINTERTONIs not the true constitutional procedure for hon. and right hon. Members opposite who think that they have a legitimate grievance—and I express no opinion upon that—to put down a Vote of Censure?
§ Mr. BATEYAre we to understand from the answer which was given to the supplementary question of my hon. Friend that the only reason for refusing to give leave to move the Adjournment is that the Prime Minister is going to answer a question to-morrow?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThere are several reasons. I have given them once and I cannot give them again.