§ Mr. Lawsonasked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the fact that he has met representatives of the Trade Union Congress on this matter, he can inform the House as to whether the Government are prepared to make an appeal to all employers who have not already notified such intention to pay wages for the Coronation Bank Holiday in order to avoid the real hardship involved in men and women timeworkers and pieceworkers being subjected to a serious loss of wages?
§ Mr. E. BrownRepresentations on this subject have been made to me by the Trades Union Council, and, in the course of my discussions with them, I called attention to statements previously made on behalf of the Government, and, in particular, the reply given by the Prime Minister to a question put by the hon. 3053 Member for Wednesbury (Mr. Banfield) on 5th November last. I feel assured that employers will as far as possible make every endeavour to avoid loss of pay by their employés on this occasion, and, further, that representations made to employers by workpeople's organisations on the subject will secure sympathetic consideration to the fullest extent that circumstances permit.
§ Mr. LawsonWhere representations are made and attempts are made at negotiations on this matter by workpeople's representatives, will the Department use their good offices to bring those negotiations to a satisfactory conclusion?
§ 31. Mr. Manderasked the Minister of Health whether local authorities will be permitted to make grants to old age pensioners on the occasion of the Coronation, or whether these will be restricted to those in receipt of public assistance?
§ The Minister of Health (Sir Kingsley Wood)The sanction I have given to local authorities—I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the relevant Circular—enables them to grant to persons whether old age pensioners or not who are in receipt of out-relief such reasonable additions to the relief as they may think fit. This sanction does not apply to persons who are not in receipt of relief.