38. Mr. Leeasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that information supplied by the Merchant Navy Establishment Administration to his Department on who are, and who are not, engaged on service with the Merchant Navy, to enable him to decide as to their call-up, has not invariably been accurate and whether he will now take steps to obtain this information directly through his own officers.
§ Sir W. MoncktonThe Registrar-General of Shipping and Seamen informs me if a man is, or has ceased to be, a merchant seaman, and I have no reason to question the accuracy of his information.
Mr. Leeis the Minister aware that his statement last Thursday showed that he is dependent for his information in this matter on a body over which he has no control whatever? is he further aware that when an enormously important principle of this kind is at stake it is that body which determines whether the law can or cannot be invoked? In these circumstances, does he not consider it essential that he should either say that he agrees with what that body has done or should set up some sort of agency over which he can have complete control on this very important principle?
§ Sir W. MoncktonI have no reason to suppose that the information which I have had in the past has been wrong, but if the hon. Gentleman knows of inaccuracies, such as his Question suggests, I should be glad to hear about them.
Mr. LeeIn his reply last week, the right hon. and learned Gentleman made it quite clear that people were being removed from this pool whereas we all know that they are still really employed within the industry. They were being removed because of an industrial dispute. That removal took place within a few hours of the dispute beginning. In these circumstances, is it not true to say that the information to the effect that these people have, in fact, left the industry is grossly inaccurate?
§ Sir W. MoncktonThe information upon which I acted was that these men had left the industry. They had, in fact, left their ship and had broken the articles under which they served.
§ Mr. StokesMay I ask the right hon. and learned Gentleman whether it is not unusual for a Government Department to act so promptly?
§ Sir W. MoncktonThat has not been my experience in my Department.
§ 44. Dr. Kingasked the Minister of Labour how many young Southampton merchant seamen have been called by his Department to National Service while they have been engaged in strike action.
§ Sir W. MoncktonNone, Sir.
§ Dr. KingThat reply will give local satisfaction, but is the Minister aware that the exemption of Merchant Navy men from military service is a tribute to the vital nature of the work of those men in peace and war and that, while we deplore unofficial strikes, we deplore even more the use of military service as a punishment of merchant seamen for engaging in these strikes?
§ Sir W. MoncktonI am no party to using military service as a punishment of any sort or kind. Deferment for merchant seamen is given because it would be absurd to call up men from the Merchant Service who will be wanted in that Service if war takes place.