§ 18. Mr. Gallacherasked the Minister of Labour what agreement has been reached between the American Officer-in-Charge of U.S. troops in Britain and his Department, respecting the employment of coloured workers at or near the U.S. bases.
§ Mr. IsaacsNo agreement on this subject has been made by my Department. We are told what the employer's 1061 requirements are and do our best to meet them.
§ Mr. GallacherAre we to take it that a certain part of England now belongs to America and that the right hon. Gentleman and the employment exchanges have no authority to send workers to employment there if the Americans take objection to it?
§ Mr. IsaacsI invite the attention of the hon. Member to his Question. He asked, "what agreement has been reached?" I said no agreement has been reached.
§ 19. Mr. Gallacherasked the Minister of Labour why Mr. Harold Brown, an electrician, was informed at the Green Lane Employment Exchange in Liverpool, that no coloured men would be employed at the R.A.F. camp adjoining the U.S. base at Burtonwood, Lancashire.
§ Mr. IsaacsI have made inquiries but have been unable to find that any such statement was made to Mr. Brown.
§ Mr. GallacherMay I send the Minister information on this point? If I do, will he take it up and see that no objection of any kind is placed on any workers being employed in any part of England?
§ Mr. IsaacsCertainly, I will look into that matter. To prove the point, we have recently sent a coloured man from the Department to this particular place.