§ 70. Mr. Simmondsasked the Home Secretary whether he intends to permit an employer to demand the resignation of an employé from the local Civil Defence Services in order that he may serve as a fire watcher at his place of work?
Mr..MabaneAs my right hon. Friend stated in the answer which he gave on 6th February to a Question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for East Stirling (Mr. Woodburn) he has issued a public statement indicating that no pressure whatever should be brought on effective members of the Civil Defence Services to leave those Services and take up fire-fighting duties at their place of work. He has since communicated with the Employers' Organisations on the subject, and I welcome this further opportunity of again drawing public attention to this matter.
§ Mr. SimmondsHas my hon. Friend power to prevent an employer from taking this action? It is no use making appeals. Some men are doing it, and it must be stopped.
§ Mr. MabaneMy hon. Friend will realise that this would imply power to prevent any member of the Civil Defence Services from resigning. That is a different matter.
§ 75. Mr. Simmondsasked the Home Secretary what steps he has taken to secure that employers, including Government Departments, shall not compete for the services of paid fire-watchers by offering remuneration at excessively high rates?
§ Mr. MabaneI would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which my right hon. Friend gave on 20th February to a Question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham (Mr. Hamilton Kerr).
§ Mr. SimmondsIs my hon. Friend aware that this scandal is still continuing? Have the Government powers to stop it, or are they simply avoiding using the powers which they possess?
§ Mr. MabaneAs my right hon. Friend said in the reply to which I have referred, his attention had been drawn to these cases, but he preferred to see the effect of recent Orders concerning fire prevention before considering whether any further action could with advantage be taken. That is the position to-day.
§ Mr. SimmondsHas not sufficient time elapsed for that decision to be made? Are the Government running away from their responsibility in this matter?
§ Sir W. DavisonIs my hon. Friend aware of the difficulty in obtaining men for fire-watching in the City of London except at wages which people cannot afford to pay?