§ 43. Mr. Toucheasked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been called to the refusal by his Department to allow German prisoners temporarily unemployed on agricultural work to be employed in private gardens on vegetable production and, in view of the importance of food production and the desirability of keeping such prisoners in employment, if he will authorise such permission to be be granted in appropriate cases.
§ The Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Thomas Williams)I have been asked to reply. At any time when "agricultural" prisoners are not all wanted for agricultural work, my Department is prepared to arrange, in consultation with the Ministry of Labour, for them to be employed on other urgent work of national importance, but the type of employment to which the hon. Member refers is not one in which, in my view, the use of prisoner labour can be justified.
§ Sir W. SmithersMight I ask the Minister of Agriculture about a case I sent to him recently as to why someone with a large garden, who wants to produce all the food he can, cannot get labour? If German prisoner-of-war labour is available, why will the right hon Gentleman not grant the concession?
§ Mr. WilliamsBecause all the German prisoners available for agriculture can find full work.
§ Sir W. SmithersNo, they cannot.