§ 48. Mr. Haleasked the Prime Minister whether he will transfer the responsibility for the cotton textile industry to a Department other than the Board of Trade.
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir.
§ Mr. HaleWould the right hon. Gentleman say that the reason for that reply may be that he has no more competent Ministers to pass it on to? Is he aware that for seven years we have been taking deputations to Presidents of the Board of Trade about the cotton industry without one single thing being done; that since he became Prime Minister two cotton workers have fallen out of employment every hour of every day of every month; that the situation is now grave; that the decision of the Restrictive Practices Court yesterday will almost certainly result in some short-term worsening of the situation? Will he, therefore, tell us in relation to cotton, as he has done in relation to shipbuilding, what measures the Government have in mind to deal with this?
§ The Prime MinisterWith regard to the last question about the judgment on the restrictive trading agreements, this, of course, is not a matter of decision by the Government but by the court, and since it was delivered only yesterday it would be in any case premature for me to make a statement now—
§ Mr. HaleOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Surely it is in order for me to say that, if anyone considers the supplementary question I put, it will be realised that I did not ask what action was going to be taken about the restrictive trading agreements. I asked what action was going to be taken about the cotton industry, and the Prime Minister is deliberately trying to dodge any question about the cotton industry by getting away on a side issue.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder, order.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Member should resume his seat when I rise. This is not a point of order for me, it is a matter of debate and controversy.
§ Mr. HaleFurther to that point of order, Mr. Speaker, surely I am entitled. 883 if it appears that the Prime Minister has misunderstood a question of grave importance, to make it clear that he has misunderstood it and ask him for an answer to my question?
§ The Prime MinisterPerhaps the hon. Gentleman misunderstood what I said. I began by saying "with regard to the last question. "Since it was immediately in my mind I proposed to answer that part first. It is not an uncommon practice, and certainly there was no discourtesy to him.
I repeat that as regards the last part of the supplementary question, the more specific part—I will not evade the other parts—the judgment was given only yesterday. It is a matter for which the judges are responsible under the Act, and since this was only given yesterday it would be premature now for me to attempt to make any statement as to its likely results or its effects. I would only remind the House that when that Bill, which is now an Act, was under discussion it was the continual complaint of the Opposition that the Measure would prove to be ineffective and that nothing would be done under it.
With regard to the more general question, as the hon. Gentleman knows, at last after very long negotiations I am glad to feel that voluntary agreement has been reached between the industries on imports from Hong Kong. I am extremely hopeful that a similar arrangement will be made about imports from India and Pakistan. I think this is far the most satisfactory way of handling that part of the problem.
Further, with regard to the general question. I feel, and I think the whole House feels, that there must be and will be very considerable changes in the structure and character of the industry if it is to maintain its strength and play a great part in the life of the county and of the country. But I think that no one who has studied this industry could believe, having regard to the competitive power of some of the new countries and the production of textiles in parts of the world which were once our customers, that the trade can be wholly recovered. We have to face the facts and make a policy within the industry which will be effective.
Mr. H. WilsonSince 400 mills have closed down in Lancashire since the last 884 election, and since nearly one-third of the cotton operatives have lost their jobs since the party opposite came into power, can the right hon. Gentleman tell us of a single action taken by this Government to help the industry?
§ The Prime MinisterI understood that the party opposite—I do not know the right hon. Gentleman's view—were in favour of Government action to impose restrictions upon imports. I say that I am happy that this has been the result of voluntary agreement between the trades because of the effects of Government action, which is a very serious thing, upon the whole of our Commonwealth preferential system, upon the whole of the Ottawa-based system, which has worked and helped us for twenty or thirty years, and with regard to our very big responsibilities to Colonies and underdeveloped countries.
§ Mr. JayIs the Prime Minister aware that when the Act was under discussion in this House the Opposition said repeatedly that this kind of decision should be taken not by judges but by Ministers responsible to Parliament, and does not this decision show how right we were?
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir. I would have thought that was a very dangerous doctrine. If we are to have a system which is intended to discourage this form of arrangement, a judicial decision is far the better method.