HC Deb 09 February 1939 vol 343 cc1095-7
10. Mr. E. J. Williams

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware of the grave feeling of unrest at Bridgend Arsenal over the importation of Irish and foreign labour whilst local labour is available; and what steps he proposes to stop this practice?

Mr. E. Brown

I am making inquiries into the matter and will communicate with the hon. Member.

Mr. Williams

Does not the right hon. Gentleman agree that the importation of outside labour into the distressed areas is a bad principle when thousands of persons in these areas are unemployed?

Mr. Brown

I will make inquiries into this matter. The hon. Member knows that the question has been raised before, and he also knows that for heavy contractual work of this kind, this sort of labour has been employed.

Mr. Williams

Will not the right hon. Gentleman agree that as a matter of policy the importation of outside labour should not take place when there is an adequate supply of local labour?

Mr. Brown

The policy of the Government and of the Exchange system, so far as the Exchanges are used for the employment of labour, is that local men should get the first preference, then those in the district and others outside afterwards.

Mr. Thorne

Is not the employment of local labour insisted upon in the contract?

Mr. Brown

From his knowledge of the industrial side the hon. Member must know that there are many difficulties in the way.

Mr. Lawson

Is it not a fact that when grants were made by the Unemployment Grants Committee on various occasions the contractors were told that they had to employ local labour or lose the contract?

Mr. Brown

I should not like to give an answer offhand. Perhaps the hon. Member will put that question down.

Mr. Buchanan

Will the right hon. Gentleman see that the Irish are not treated any worse than the Czechs?

Mr. Brown

I should not like to be drawn into that comparison. I think the whole House would prefer that where the local labour is suitable it should get the preference.

Several Members rose

—

Mr. Speaker

If there are so many supplementary questions on each question, we shall never get on.