§ 19. Air Commodore A. V. Harveyasked the Minister of Labour if he is aware of the increasing unemployment in Macclesfield; and if he will discuss with his right hon. Friends the possibility of bringing other industries into the district.
§ The Minister of Labour (Sir Walter Monckton)Yes, Sir. I am in touch with my right hon. Friends about the employment position in Macclesfield and other areas similarly affected.
§ Air Commodore HarveyWill my right hon. and learned Friend consult his right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply and send officers to Macclesfield as soon as possible, because the unemployment there has been building up steadily since last June.
§ Sir W. MoncktonMacclesfield is one of those places where there is considerable unemployment in the textile 1243 and clothing industries, and in my judgment it is too soon at the moment to judge what the pattern of that industry will be and what the level of employment will settle at. However, I am keeping this closely in mind and am in touch with my right hon. Friend whose province covers it more nearly than mine.
§ Mr. ShinwellYes, but if the right hon. and learned Gentleman has consulted his right hon. Friend, what does his right hon. Friend intend to do about it?
§ Sir W. MoncktonI think the answer to that is that my right hon. Friend, like myself, will want to take into account some things of which we are at the moment not fully aware. For instance, one is the situation in Australia, and perhaps we might hear something later in the day which we ought to take into account.