§ 3. Mr. Fosterasked the Minister of Labour the latest available total figures of workers released from the mining industry by National Service officers for the past two years, separately.
§ Mr. FosterIn view of the fact that there is a considerable wastage of manpower in the industry, through the release of men by National Service officers, and that, side by side with that, we have other people being directed into the industry, does my right hon. Friend not think that some record should be kept, and some check put upon these releases?
§ Mr. BevinI have to exercise discretion. When men ask to be released—and in a lot of these cases men ask to be released—health and all sorts of other questions come into it. I have to deal with every case on its merits. I think that, on the whole, my Department has exercised very great care. It would be very unjust to keep a man working down the pit when a doctor says that he is unfit for it.
§ Mr. FosterIs my right hon. Friend aware that in most cases where men are in the pit and have recovered, or partially recovered, from their injuries, the employer takes advantage of the fact that he can easily obtain the release from the industry of these men to save paying compensation?
§ Mr. BevinI have said before that I cannot generalise on this question. If my hon. Friend will give me particulars of cases, I promise that I will go into every case where this sort of thing is alleged.
§ Mr. TinkerWe are asking for information on this matter. We may be wrong, 323 but we have an idea of what is happening. We think that there is a lot of this going on, but we cannot get information about it.
§ Mr. BevinI can only say that there is a good deal of resentment on the part of the men at being always card-indexed and reported upon. We are dealing with this matter in the most human way we can, and we want to stick to that procedure.