HC Deb 15 July 1943 vol 391 cc335-8
2. Mr. Sloan

asked the Minister of Labour whether it was with his authority that Dr. Robert McIntyre, secretary of the Scottish National Party, was informed by Miss Berry, of the women's department central office of the Ministry of Labour, Bothwell Street, Glasgow, that there were no vacancies in all Scotland at present for skilled mobile women of conscript age?

The Minister of Labour (Mr. Ernest Bevin)

I understand a statement to this effect was made by a junior officer during the interview of a particular worker, and, on its being challenged by Dr. McIntyre, Miss Berry said that there were no vacancies in Scotland to which this worker could be sent. I know of no reason for supposing that this statement was not correct.

Mr. Sloan

Am I to understand that we have gone a stage further, and that it is now recognised that there is no work for such women in Scotland?

Mr. Bevin

No, Sir, that is not the answer. It is a particular kind of job that this woman wanted. She had already had other jobs submitted to her, but refused to take them.

Mr. Sloan

Is my right hon. Friend aware that this lady has three brothers serving in the Forces, and that it was necessary that she should live in her own home? In these circumstances are we to understand that this girl must cross the Border?

Mr. Bevin

If the circumstances are such that directions have to be issued, I must carry on.

Mr. Kirkwood

Is the Minister aware that in this case the officer made a general statement—not just affecting this girl—that girls might not be employed? Was it proper for an officer of this kind to make a general statement for the whole of Scotland when dealing only with the situation in that exchange?

Mr. Bevin

The junior officer made a mistake, as many of us do. It was corrected by the senior officer.

Mr. Sloan

Was the senior officer in any better position to know?

Mr. Bevin

Certainly.

4 Mr. Stephen

asked the Minister of Labour (1) the number of women, under 40 years of age, who have been directed to work in England at each of the Employment Exchanges in Glasgow for each month of the present year;

(2) the number of women in England who have received directions to proceed to work in Scotland during each month of the present year;

(3) the number of women from England working in Scottish factories; how many such women are regarded as mobile; and whether they will be directed to work in English factories before Scottish girls are sent away from their homes to such work in the future?

Mr. Bevin

The number of women registered under the Registration for Employment Order and the National Service Acts who were transferred from Employment Exchanges in Glasgow to employment in England from the beginning of 1943 to 12th June (the latest date for which figures are available) was 169. Figures for each month were: January, 6; February, 17; March, 42; April, 50; May, 29; June, 25. With possibly one or two exceptions, these women were all under 40 years of age.

During May and June, 23 women who had received special training on the repair and maintenance of aero-engines were transferred from England to undertake such work in Scotland. A further 33 transfers represent in the main transfers between towns on the Border. Since these women, apart from the Border town cases, were transferred for the special reasons I have mentioned, I could only pursue my hon. Friend's suggestion for retransfer to England when the need for their services is terminated. Information is not available as to the total number of women from England working in Scottish factories.

Mr. Stephen

Am I to understand that there were no women in Scotland with those qualications who could have been employed?

Mr. Bevin

As I understand, they were transferred for certain specialised work from one factory, where they had been specially trained, to another. I must again emphasise that this is a total war, affecting Scotland and England as well. We cannot deal with it on a nationalist basis.

Mr. Stephen

Is my right hon. Friend aware that there is no reason why those girls should be taken to England when they have the qualifications for work in Scotland?

Mr. Bevin

When we have put men or women in special training establishments of particular firms, I am sometimes asked to transfer these specialists from one place to another, and not to bring in fresh people to be trained on specialist work. That I must do in the interest of efficiency.

Mr. Mathers

Is my right hon. Friend aware that girls in my constituency are trained in the West of Scotland, alongside other girls from towns in the West of Scotland, and that at the end of their training the other girls are sent to work in their own home towns while the girls from my constituency are sent to England?

Mr. Bevin

There might not be munition works in my hon. Friend's constituency. I do not know about that. But I must again say that I cannot deal with this problem on a nationalist basis.

Mr. Sloan

Would my right hon. Friend say that this total war does not affect Scottish girls more than English girls?

Mr. Bevin

The English girls have to be moved about all over the country. I have not treated Scottish girls worse than English or Welsh girls or anybody else. I am not adopting the view that I should give Scottish girls a preference.