§ 21. Mr. Caryasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will give an assurance that in the reorganisation of industry firms which have benefited by the war, such as aircraft and munition 1139 works, and continue to expand by taking workers from other trades, shall be made to compensate the non-essential industries which are shut or merged, and also will be placed under a statutory obligation to assist in replacing employés in their former trades in the post-war years?
§ Mr. LytteltonAs explained in the statement which I made on 5th March, the firms enabled by industrial concentration to work to capacity are expected by the Government to provide a measure of compensation for firms that are closed down. The difficulty of my hon. Friend's suggestion is similar to that which precludes the use of public funds to provide compensation in these cases. With regard to the last part of the Question, my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service is anxious that all possible assistance should be given so that workers now transferred to munitions work may return to their former employment after the war, and for this purpose records will be kept of workers transferred through the concentration of the less essential industries. He does not, however, think it practicable to place statutory obligations for reinstatement on the employers to whom they are transferred for war work.
§ Mr. CaryIf three-quarters of our industrial life is to be brought into common employment in war production surely any scheme of compensation must be cast as wide as possible and not limited to a few sections of the home trade?
§ Mr. LevyHow does the right hon. Gentleman reconcile what he has now said with the fact that a great many employers have entered into an obligation to make up to civilian rates the wages of employés who have left for the Army? Is this obligation to be null and void?
§ Mr. LytteltonI was asked whether it was the intention to impose an obligation to re-instate. The answer is, "No."