27. Mr. Leeasked the Minister of Labour his estimate of the increased manpower necessary to carry out the modernisation of the railways, the increase in school and hospital building and the completion of the new road schemes, all of which projects will run concurrently; and how he proposes to obtain such manpower.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour and National Service (Mr. Harold Watkinson)In view of the increasing efficiency of the building and civil engineering industry, I see no reason to suppose that the programmes referred to, which will be spread over a period of years, will impose any undue burden on the industry. As regards demands for electrical equipment and diesel locomotives, the Transport Commission has announced that it will give advance notice of its annual programmes, and if it should appear that the labour requirements may be difficult to meet, my Department will be glad to co-operate with the employers' and workers' organisations concerned in considering any measures that may be necessary.
Mr. LeeIs the Minister aware that, in addition to the projects which are mentioned in the Question, the Chancellor has now told us that we must step up our exports pretty drastically, and that there has also been an announcement on atomic energy stations? If we cannot know at this stage, when there is a shortage of manpower, how it is planned to carry out these projects simultaneously, is the hon. Gentleman aware that there may be people who will think that all these things are mere kite flying for the next General Election?
§ Mr. WatkinsonWe are looking into this matter very carefully. One example 546 of how modern machinery affects this kind of problem is that after looking very carefully into the road programme we take the view that it will need only about 16,000 men out of the 1,200,000 employed in the building and contracting industries.