§ 10. Mr. F. Noel-Bakerasked the Minister of Labour what special instructions he has given to his officials in the Swindon area; and what other special action he will take, to assist men who become redundant at the British Railways' workshops.
§ Mr. HareMy local officers will register redundant workpeople in advance of their discharge, so as to lose no time in trying to secure alternative employment for them. The British Transport Commission, with whom we are in close touch, has promised us every assistance.
§ Mr. Noel-BakerIs the Minister aware that, of the 18,000 railway workers who are threatened with the sack, 2,000 are in Swindon, and most of these will be leaving next year or the year after? Is he also aware that they have been given the most categorical assurances that the Government will take all sorts of steps to find them new jobs? Will he go down to Swindon to have a look at the situation on the spot and have a talk with the men concerned, particularly the older craftsmen, for whom the future is very black indeed?
§ Mr. HareAs the hon. Gentleman knows, in his constituency the percentage unemployment rate is 1 per cent.—less than half the national average. He also knows that a considerable number of new 579 jobs are in prospect, including some 900 for males. I hope that we shall be able to deal satisfactorily with this problem, but, of course, the hon. Gentleman is quite right in saying that there will be difficulties with some of the older people with specialist skills, such as coach builders. I can assure him that we shall do all we can to help.
§ Mr. Noel-BakerMay I press the Minister once more, particularly in view of the problem faced by the older craftsmen, of the uncertainty of the employment position in a number of other industries, including the pressed steel workers? Will he go down to the borough and have a talk to the men on the spot?
§ Mr. HareThere is nothing that I would like to do more than to go down to Swindon, but I am not divisible. There are quite a number of places which I have to see where I am afraid the unemployment situation is a great deal more serious than it is in Swindon.