§ 43 Mr. John Morganasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he has concluded the conversations he initiated with the trade union representatives of the farm workers concerning future farming policy; and, if so, has he come to any decision concerning the farm workers' demand for a statutory minimum wage of £2 per week?
§ Sir R. Dorman-SmithIt has been my intention to maintain contact with representatives of farm workers and to consult them on matters affecting farming policy when such consultations are likely to prove useful. I am receiving a deputation from the Trades Union Congress on 19th July in regard to the drift of farm workers from the land, the standard of living of agricultural workers and other matters. In regard to the last part of the question, I would remind the hon. Member that the fixing of statutory minimum wages is, under the Agricultural Wages (Regulation) Act, 1924, a matter for the Agricultural Wages Committees.
§ Mr. MorganDoes the Minister, then, suggest that he is in a position to grant farmers up to £25,000,000 or £30,000,000 a year and not in a position to improve the wages of the farm workers?
§ Sir R. Dorman-SmithThat will depend on the prosperity of the industry.
§ Mr. T. SmithDoes not the right hon. and gallant Gentleman agree that the agricultural worker deserves a far better wage than even £2 a week?
§ Mr. Dingle FootWould the Minister not agree that the payment of new agricultural subsidies ought to lead to a substantial improvement in wages?
§ Sir R. Dorman-SmithI hope that the general prosperity of the industry will lead to that.
§ 51. Mr. J. Morganasked the Minister of Agriculture what would be the estimated annual cost of raising the wages of all adult regular farm workers by 5s. 6d. per week?
§ Sir R. Dorman-SmithNo statistics are available showing the actual number of workers who are employed in agriculture the whole year round. The annual agricultural returns show the numbers of workers employed on 4th June, who are classified as "regular" and "casual," but the fact that a worker is described therein as casual does not necessarily mean that he is not employed (by different farmers) for the whole year. There is also the difficulty that the number of workers shown in the returns include members of farmers' families who assist in the work of the farm but who are not usually employed under contracts of service and so are not in receipt of wages as such. For these reasons my Department cannot make a reliable estimate of the annual cost of raising the wages of all adult regular farm workers by 5s. 6d. per week.
§ Mr. MorganIs the Minister in a position to give an approximate figure?
§ Sir R. Dorman-SmithNot one that would be accurate.
§ Mr. MorganIs it not becoming apparent to the right hon. and gallant Gentleman that the whole House is getting very dissatisfied with his attitude on this matter?
§ 52. Mr. T. Smithasked the Minister of Agriculture the number of wage-earners employed in agriculture in England and Wales, and Scotland, at the present time, and for 1924 and 1932?
§ Sir R. Dorman-SmithI regret that particulars are not available of the number of actual wage-earners employed in agriculture at the present time, but, with the hon. Member's permission, I propose to circulate in the Official Report a statement giving the numbers of workers employed on agricultural holdings, in June, 1924, 1932 and 1938, the figures for 1939 not being as yet available.
§ Mr. SmithIf there are no reliable figures in the Department with regard to wage-earners how did the Minister of Labour estimate the figures for unemployment insurance?
§ Sir R. Dorman-Smiththe trouble is that if we were to try to get accurate figures of the number actually engaged in this work it would mean calling in all the cards of the workers and getting the number from those statistics. We may have to consider that course.
§ Mr. J. MorganHas not the right hon. and gallant Gentlemen received instruction on this matter from the National Farmers' Union?
§ Sir R. Dorman- SmithI do not receive instruction from them.
§ Mr. MacquistenHow is it that the farmers can make weekly returns of their milk and not of their workers?
§ Mr. George GriffithsThey know how many cows they have but not how many workers, according to the Minister.
§ Following is the statement:
| Number of workers employed on Agricultural Holdings of over one acre on 4th June in certain years. | ||||
| — | England and Wales | Scotland. | Great Britain. | |
| 1924 | … | 806,463 | 117,342 | 923,805 |
| 1932 | … | 697,481 | 111,257 | 808,738 |
| 1938 | … | 593,123 | 104,340 | 697,463 |