§ 21. Mr. Goochasked the Minister of Labour whether he will immediately devise a scheme for the gradual withdrawal of prisoner-of-war labour from the land; return to the farms all farmworkers now serving in the Forces; and suspend indefinitely the call-up of further men from the farms.
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsNo, Sir; my right hon. Friend could not agree to the withdrawal of prisoners of war from agricultural work in advance of general arrangements for repatriation. As regards the second part of the Question release in Class B has already been offered to practically all agricultural workers with more than a year's service. On 2nd February, the Prime Minister announced that the call up of some 8,000 agricultural workers this year would be suspended at least until after the harvest. It has now been decided to make this suspension indefinite and they will not, therefore, be called up. Next year's arrangements will be in accordance with the White Paper, Cmd. 6831, which provides for deferment of agricultural workers on grounds of industrial need.
§ Mr. GoochDoes the Minister realise that the presence of prisoners of war is unsettling to other men on the farm and that this slave labour is undermining the position of the British farm worker who wants to do his best at this critical time?
§ Mr. EdwardsI would refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by the Minister of State in yesterday's Debate on repatriation.
§ Mr. H. HyndCould not a large part of the unemployed Polish forces be put on to this work?
§ Mr. StokesMay I ask the Minister whether he himself does not think it disgraceful that these men are retained here as slave labour contrary to the policy of his own party?