HC Deb 17 June 1937 vol 325 cc557-8
52. Mr. Liddell

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make an official request to all the public authorities in correspondence with his Department that their general policy should be to reduce their individual programmes of public construction, improvement, and equipment as long as private trade is expanding and employment good; and that they should hold projected work in abeyance, but ready to be begun as soon as private expenditure decreases, and in that way check a fall in employment following recession in general trade?

57 and 58. Sir Hugh Seely

asked the Minister of Health (1) whether he will consider making inquiries of local authorities throughout the country as to necessary public works within their boundaries;

(2) whether he will consider the grant of sums of money to local authorities in respect of approved public works to be planned with a view to putting them into execution if there should be any rise in the figures of unemployment?

Sir K. Wood

I would refer the hon. Members to the answer given yesterday by the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for the English Universities (Mr. E. Harvey).

Mr. Shinwell

Will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that there are still 1,500,000 persons unemployed in this country, and that it is not desirable to restrict this construction?

Mr. H. Morrison

Is it not a fact that part of the necessity for development now has been created by the positive discouragement of municipal activity during the years of depression?