§ 45. Mr. Kennedyasked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been drawn to the speech at Ledston Hall, Castleford, on Wednesday last, in which the Lord President of the Council emphasised the desirability of restricting employment and industrial output pending a cessation or limitation of the production of armaments, in order to reduce the effect of the next industrial depression; and whether this speech expresses the policy of His Majesty's Government?
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Chamberlain)Yes, Sir, but so far as I can judge from the newspaper reports which I have seen, the remarks of my Noble Friend are not accurately summarised in the question. There is no intention of restricting employment or industrial output but of finding the best use of our available resources in labour, materials, and productive power, with the object, among others, that employment may be available when the temporary demands of the rearmament programme have been satisfied. In this connection I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to the reply given on 8th April last, to a ques-
§ gamated during the past five years with departments for older children; how many new combined departments for infants and juniors have been opened in the same period of time; and how many of both types of combined departments are in charge of men and women head-teachers, respectively?
Mr. LindsayAs the answer contains a number of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ tion by the hon. and gallant Member for the Wrekin (Colonel Baldwin-Webb).
§ Mr. T. SmithIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the point in this question is correctly reported in the local Press, which gives more or less a verbatim report of the speech: and is he also aware that in this locality where the speech was made there are large numbers of people, still unemployed, who are dissatisfied with this kind of statement.
§ The Prime MinisterI cannot undertake to say that my Noble Friend's statements will always satisfy everybody in the neighbourhood, but I have read a report of the speech—a verbatim report—and it does not seem to be accurately summarised in the question.
§ Mr. J. J. DavidsonCan the House have a definite reply to the last part of the question, whether this speech expresses the policy of His Majesty's Government?
§ The Prime MinisterYes. I see nothing inconsistent between the speech and the policy of His Majesty's Government.
§ Mr. KennedyDoes the right hon. Gentleman mean the speech as reported; does that express the policy of His Majesty's Government?
§ The Prime MinisterAccording to the report of the speech which I have seen, I see nothing in the speech to quarrel with.
Mr. Owen EvansAs a matter of fact, is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the intensified progress of rearmament in this country does restrict employment and industrial output, and does he not realise that this may have a very serious adverse effect on permanent employment in this country?
§ The Prime MinisterAll these matters are borne in mind.