§ 2. Mr. Ness Edwardsasked the Minister of Labour whether he will consider providing employment for the substantial number of unemployed men in the valleys of South Wales and, in particular, a very substantial body of registered non-mobile women, instead of extending his control to women in the older age categories?
§ The Minister of Labour (Mr. Ernest Bevin)With the co-operation of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Production, I am continually seeking to have new war production placed in districts where there are immobile unemployed workers. Unemployment in the Welsh valleys has been greatly reduced since the outbreak of war, but there are still in certain districts men and women anxious to obtain employment on war work and I will naturally call upon these men and women before making demands upon older women in the same area.
§ Mr. EdwardsIs not the Minister aware of the grave social problem of women being taken into employment and their husbands being left on unemployment assistance and then unemployment assistance being taken away, with the result that the husbands have to live on the earnings of their wives? Surely this is a problem which should have greater attention than it has received? Will be 358 make another effort to see what he can do to deal with these pockets of unemployment?