§ 67. Mr. Mainwaringasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, having regard to the long wait for plans to provide work for the thousands of industrial victims in South Wales and the slow rate of progress with Grenfell factories to aid the disabled and the fact that this plan is now inadequate, he is prepared to set up a special committee to consider what is required fully to meet the situation and to receive representations from the areas affected.
§ Mr. BottomleyI cannot accept my hon. Friend's suggestion that the plans, now in course of fulfilment in South Wales, for the use of surplus munitions factories and the erection of some 280 new factories and extensions capable of providing work for some 64,000 people, are inadequate. We do not think that a special committee is needed, but, as my hon. Friend well knows, we are always prepared to receive representation.
§ Mr. MainwaringIs my hon. Friend aware that we have roughly the same number of unemployed in the Rhondda today as we had at the outbreak of war, and that in the meanwhile many thousands have gone elsewhere so that proportionately the provision of work is much less than it was then; and having regard to the fact that, throughout the whole of South Wales, the scheme of so-called Grenfell factories is completely discredited, is it not high time that the Government took serious steps to deal with the unemployment situation?
§ Mr. BottomleyI cannot accept what my hon. Friend has said. Perhaps I might add that whereas in January of this year there were 5,900 employed, today we are employing 8,700.