HC Deb 23 February 1939 vol 344 cc540-1
9. Mr. T. Johnston

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can supply any estimate or indicate the existence of any published estimate of the loss in unemployment benefit, Poor Law relief, national taxation, and local rating which this country has to find in indirect subsidy as a result of the loss in wages upon every £1,000,000 worth of shipping orders sent by British owners to foreign shipbuilding yards?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

No, Sir.

Mr. Johnston

Will the Parliamentary Secretary inquire what has happened to the figures that were in existence in his Department in 1931, and why they cannot be brought down to date?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I spent a large part of this morning making inquiries, and nobody had heard of the figures mentioned by the hon. Member. I would, however, refer him to a statement made by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade in reply to a question which the right hon. Gentleman put one day last week.

Mr. Johnston

Is the hon. Member not aware that the figures were used very frequently in Debates in this House in 1931?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

They must have been inaccurate. I think that it would be impossible to arrive at accurate figures.