§ 28. Mr. Liddallasked the Minister of Labour whether he has been advised of the fact that the establishment of aeroplane and similar factories for the purpose of rearmament is attracting by reason of higher wages labour which is ordinarily available to established manufacturing concerns; whether he is aware that embarrassment is being caused to those concerns which are unable to pay the high rate of wages necessary to retain their workpeople; and whether he will take steps to ascertain what can be done in the matter?
§ Mr. E. BrownWhile individual cases of men leaving their previous employment to take work with firms engaged in the manufacture of armaments have been brought to my notice from time to time, no satisfactory evidence has been forthcoming that the transfer was due to the offer of more than the recognised rate of wages. The question of securing sufficient labour for achieving the priority for defence requirements which the Government has already declared to be necessary, is at the moment the subject of discussion between the employers' organisations and the trade unions in the engineering industry. I have no doubt that it will be the desire of all parties to see that the necessary arrangements to this end are made with the least possible dislocation of the industry.