HC Deb 25 May 1939 vol 347 cc2465-7
8. Mr. McEntee

asked the Minister of Labour how many men are on the King's Roll and registered as unemployed at the Walthamstow Employment Exchange?

Mr. E. Brown

On 3rd April, 1939, 65 disabled ex-service men were registered at the Leyton and Walthamstow Employment Exchange as unemployed.

Mr. McEntee

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in Walthamstow many war equipment contracts are being carried out, and will he make an effort to get the contractors to employ a reasonable percentage of these men?

Mr. Brown

I have made inquiries and I find that four local authorities employ 108 ex-service men and 113 firms employ 616 men.

Mr. McEntee

Is not that the ordinary percentage which they are compelled to employ to be on the Roll, and will the right hon. Gentleman make a special effort to get a larger percentage of these men employed?

Mr. Brown

We are constantly doing that.

9. Mr. McEntee

asked the Minister of Labour how many men are on the King's Roll in England and Wales, and are now unemployed; and will he consider making it a condition that those receiving Government contracts for war equipment shall employ a percentage of these men sufficiently high to absorb those now unemployed?

Mr. Brown

On 3rd April last the number of disabled ex-Service men registered at Employment Exchanges in England and Wales as unemployed was 25,481. As regards the second part of the question, the hon. Member will be aware that, save in exceptional circum- stances, only firms on the King's Roll may tender for Government Contracts. As the local King's Roll committees are always on the look-out to increase the number of disabled ex-Service men employed by particular firms in the light of the circumstances of each case, I do not think any useful purpose would be served by trying to lay down a general rule such as the hon. Member suggests.

Mr. McEntee

Does the right hon. Gentleman not think it is a pretty disgraceful thing that 25,000 people of this class can be out of work when we are spending hundreds of millions of pounds on war work?

Mr. Brown

I do not agree with that. Of course if you take the total number of men employed the percentage would be shown to be very small.

Mr. Poole

Is it not the case that many of these men are unemployed through premature old age due to War service, and will the right hon. Gentleman not take some steps, in conjunction with the Minister of Pensions, to see that these men receive reasonable consideration?

Mr. Brown

That has been the policy of successive Governments since the War. Some of these men are able to work in ordinary industrial conditions, others are fit only for light work, and there are others who are unable to work owing to their bad disability.