§ 52. Mr. Simmondsasked the Minister of Production whether he is aware that at a factory, notified to him, the Admiralty has supplied at public cost specialised machinery to augment the production of 1736 electric accumulators, whilst the Ministry of Labour is withdrawing labour from the undertaking so that the augmented production cannot take place; and why there is this lack of inter-departmental co-operation?
§ Mr. LytteltonNo, Sir; I am advised that machinery was supplied only to a subsidiary firm of the undertaking referred to, by independent contract; and that no labour was withdrawn from this subsidiary firm. The labour position of the parent firm is still under consideration by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service.
§ Mr. SimmondsWhether it is a subsidiary firm or not, it is a manufacturing unit, and is it not a fact that it is quite wrong that at public expense one of the Supply Departments should supply specialised machinery and that at the same time the Ministry of Labour should be withdrawing labour? Does not this gravely affect the morale of the workpeople in these undertakings?
§ Mr. LytteltonI have already answered the Question. No labour is being withdrawn from the subsidiary firm to which the machinery was supplied.