§ 5. Mr. Evelyn Walkdenasked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that the railways are not in a position to handle a greatly increased holiday traffic this year owing to the large number of locomotives awaiting repair and for which adequate labour is not available; and whether he will now regard the repair of locomotives and rolling stock as a No. 1 labour priority so as to enable the railways to carry the large numbers of workers to seaside or country holidays this summer.
§ Mr. ButlerThe supply of labour for the repair of locomotives and rolling stock has for long received a very high preference in the allocation of labour. The fact that it has not kept pace with the demands of the railway companies has been solely due to competing demands for workpeople of the same type in posts of equal or greater urgency.
§ Mr. WalkdenIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that there are hundreds upon hundreds of disabled locomotives lying in the engine sheds, with nobody to repair them, and that there will be millions of people wanting to go on holiday this year and no trains to take them? Can he not see that efficient engineers are provided to repair these engines and put them on the rails right away?
§ Mr. ButlerI am quite aware of the urgency of the matter, and this is designated work and has been given first preference. Subject to the shortage of the skilled people necessary, we shall do our best to provide them.
§ Mr. WalkdenCan the right hon. Gentleman not switch over skilled engineers from other work to do the job?
§ Mr. ButlerEngineers are the one class of people who are not usually redundant.