Lords Sitting of 17 December 1935

Preamble
The House met at a quarter past four of the clock, The LORD CHANCELLOR on the Woolsack.

SUNDAY ENTERTAINMENTS ACT, 1932 (BOROUGH OF ABINGDON).
THE EARL OF FEVERSHAM: My Lords, I beg to move that the Order made by the Secretary of State for the Home Department under the Sunday Entertainments Act, 1932, for extending Section I of that Act to the borough of Abingdon, and laid before this House on Tuesday last, be approved.
Moved, That the Order made by the Secretary of State for the Home Department under the Sunday Entertainments Act, 1932, for extending Section one of that Act to the borough of Abingdon and laid before this House on Tuesday last, be approved.—(The Earl of Feversham.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.

CAMPBELTOWN HARBOUR, WATER AND GAS ORDER CONFIRMATION BILL.
Considered on Report (according to Order).
DUNDEE CORPORATION ORDER CONFIRMATION BILL.
Considered on Report (according to Order).
PUBLIC WORKS LOANS BILL.
Brought from the Commons; read 1a; and to be printed.
ROTHESAY CORPORATION GAS ORDER CONFIRMATION BILL. [H.L.]
Returned from the Commons, agreed to.

THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES.
THE EARL OF LUCAN: My Lords, I beg to move that in the temporary absence of the Lord Chairman, the

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Earl of Onslow, Lord Stanmore do take the Chair in all Committees of this House.
Moved accordingly, and, on Question, Motion agreed to.

HOURS OF EMPLOYMENT (CONVENTIONS) BILL. [H.L.]
Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
THE EARL OF FEVERSHAM: My Lords, this Bill is one which passed your Lordships' House in all its stages at the end of the last Parliament and therefore it will not be necessary for me to do more than to recall to your Lordships the main purpose of the Bill. It is to carry out the two Conventions which were adopted by the General Conference of the International Labour Organisation last summer. The first is a Convention as to the employment of women in any industrial undertaking, and the substantial difference between this new Convention and the older one, which was adopted at Washington in 1919, is that it contains a specific exemption for women holding responsible positions of management who are not ordinarily engaged in manual work. The other Convention dealt with in the Bill is of a technical character and of limited application. It deals with the system of shift working in continuous operations in sheet-glass works where the machinery is automatic. On this Convention the noble Lord, Lord Marley, raised a point that the proviso to Clause 3 (1) (a) might be abused, and I believe that I shall have the noble Lord's agreement when I say that my answer to him at a later stage met with complete satisfaction. I beg to move.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a.—(The Earl of Feversham.)
THE EARL OF LISTOWEL: My Lords, wish on behalf of those of us who sit on this side of the House to welcome very warmly this ratification of two Conventions that were passed by the International Labour Organisation. Naturally we are particularly interested in regulations that ultimately become law and which affect the conditions of work and of employment of the working population in many different parts of the world. We are satisfied with the Bill in its present form and do not intend to
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move any Amendments to it. I am also requested on behalf of my noble friend Lord Marley, to say that he is perfectly contented with the answer which the noble Earl gave him.
This Bill does, however, raise the very vital problem of the attitude of the British Government to the International Labour Office, and we feel very discontented with the amount of support that has been forthcoming in the past for the work that this Organisation has done. It is, I think, a not very favourable reflection on our Government that, out of the forty-nine Conventions which have been passed by the International Labour Office since its inception in the years immediately after the War, only nineteen, that is to say, less than half, have been actually accepted by the British Government. It is also, I think, unfortunate that Great Britain should figure as eleventh in the order of those States which have at present given their consent and ratification to Conventions. As a country that is at least on a level with the most progressive countries in matters of labour legislation we ought to support this body as strongly as we can and to see that other countries reach our level as speedily as possible. And this argument is not merely humanitarian, but should be considered on its merits from the business point of view. As an exporting country we cannot afford to have competition in our markets by those countries which employ labour under unwholesome and exploited conditions.
Now there are two Conventions which I think are particularly urgent, and about which I should like to address a question to the noble Earl. Those Conventions are the Marking of Weights Convention, which was ratified in Geneva in 1921 and endorsed by the representatives of the British Government on that occasion. They, as well as the representatives of the employers and of labour, supported this Convention. It has been ratified already by as many as thirty-two States. It has now been passed a very considerable time, and I should like to know, in the first place, whether the Government consider proposing a measure which would ratify this Convention in the future; and, in the second place, whether, if this is not the case,

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a reason could be given. I am not expecting the noble Earl to answer this question impromptu, but I dare say he could do so after consulting with his right honourable friend.
I should like also to address the same question in regard to the Convention dealing with the minimum age in agriculture, which was passed in 1921. This Convention simply lays it down that children between the ages of twelve and fourteen shall not be employed in agriculture during their school hours. In England it is impossible to employ children during their school hours at that particular age, but in Scotland on the other hand the local authorities—
THE EARL OF FEVERSHAM: My Lords, I do not wish to interrupt the noble Earl, but I think I should point out to your Lordships that the subject which the noble Earl has now raised is not in any respect relevant to the Bill under discussion. I would, however, at once assure the noble Earl, with regard to the minimum age in agriculture, that, as far as it lies in my power, I shall satisfy him with the answer he requires, and inform him, or ask some representative of the Department concerned to inform him, as to the circumstances at present relating to the Convention made in 1921.
THE EARL OF LISTOWEL: I am much obliged to the noble Earl for his answer on the point I was putting, and I do not wish to detain your Lordships if the subject goes beyond the usual latitude allowed in this House when a Bill is being discussed.
On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

JUDICIARY (SAFEGUARDING) BILL. [H.L.]
House in Committee (according to Order): Bill reported without amendment.

EXPIRING LAWS CONTINUANCE BILL.
Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
LORD TEMPLEMORE: My Lords, as your Lordships are aware, the Bill to
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which I ask the House to give a Second Reading this afternoon is what I may term a hardy annual. It continues certain useful pieces of legislation which would otherwise expire and must be passed by December 31 in each year. There is very little I need say about this particular Bill except to inform your Lordships that the number of Acts to be continued is eleven this year as against twelve last year. Two Acts have dropped out—namely, the Statutory Undertakings (Temporary Increase of Charges) Act, 1918, relating to tramway undertakings, and the Ministry of Food (Continuance) Act, 1920, relating to Part III of the Sale of Food Order, 1921. Part of Section 3 of the Public Works Facilities Act—No. 10 of the Schedule—has been also omitted. One Act has been added —namely, the Debts Clearing Offices and Import Restrictions Act, 1934. Your Lordships may remember that this Act, which was passed in June of last year and is due to expire on June 30, 1936, was passed in order to enable this country to set up a clearing office in a case where a foreign country either restricted or prohibited payment of debts due to this country. So far, His Majesty's Government have not found it necessary to set up these clearing offices. They have succeeded in making arrangements about payments with a number of foreign countries, the most important of which—namely, those with the Argentine and Germany—are working very satisfactorily. But the time has not yet come when the Government feel they can dispense with this piece of legislation. which they wish to have at hand in case of need, and therefore they propose to continue the Act until December 31, 1937.
There is one matter to which I think I ought to refer. I am sorry that my noble friend the Lord Chairman is absent, still more because I believe he is ill. I hope he will soon be back with us again. But I feel I must say a word regarding Act No. 10 in the Schedule, the Public Works Facilities Act, 1930, to the inclusion of which he took exception last year and also in 1933. I have an idea that if he had been here to-day he would have been on his feet as soon as I sat down, once more drawing attention to the inclusion of this Act. Unfortunately the necessity for this Act is still in existence, mainly as regards the Air Ministry.

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It is the only Act by which the Government at the present moment can acquire sites for civil aviation, and it is also of great use to the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Health.
I was reading the debate which took place on this Bill last year, and I observe that my noble friend Lord Stanhope, who was then answering for the Department I now have the honour to represent, expressed the hope flat the Secretary of State for Air might he able to introduce a measure for acquiring civil aerodromes and establishing powers in permanent form during last Session. As your Lordships know, last Session was very full of work, and I have to say that owing to pressure of business it was not found possible to introduce this legislation. But I can also say this, that in the Air Ministry a Bill is now actually in preparation, and my noble friend the Secretary of State for Air, if he were present, would bear me out when I say that he hopes very much that this will be passed into law during the Session of 1936. I am also informed that the matter has been very carefully considered—it is a rather tiresome phrase to use, but in this case it really means what it says—by the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Health.
LORD JESSEL: Under what Act does this come?
LORD TEMPLEMORE: It comes under Act No. 10 in the Schedule, the Public Works Facilities Act. I can only express my regret to the Lord Chairman, and I hope he will read to-morrow, in the OFFICIAL REPORT, that it has not been found possible to put through the Bill to which I referred, but that we have every hope of putting it through this year. Then, as regards the Air Ministry, there should be no longer any need to keep the Public Works Facilities Act in the Expiring Laws Continuance Bill in the future. I think there is no more. I need say about the Bill, and I beg to move.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a.—(Lord Templemore.)
LORD STANMORE: My Lords, your Lordships will regret that the Chairman of Committees is net able to be in his place to-day, but I am glad to say the cause is not a serious one. He is laid
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up with a severe cold, and is no doubt a victim of this weather. I feel certain that had he been here lie would have wished to say something on this question in spite of the explanation given by my noble friend Lord Templemore. On his behalf I should like to welcome what has been said, and in the circumstances I shall not make the protest I thought of making.
On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
LORD MARLEY: My Lords, I understand we have a few moments to spare, so perhaps the noble Viscount will give us some idea of what the course of business will be during the remainder of this week in case any change may be contemplated.
THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (VISCOUNT HALIFAX): My Lords, I am very much obliged to the noble Lord. We should propose to-morrow to take the business standing on the Paper, with the exception of the Motion in the name of Lord Davies, which, to meet the general convenience as represented to hint, he has been willing kindly to postpone till Thursday. Accordingly, on Thursday there will be the conclusion of this formal business that has been before your Lordships, and it will be followed by the debate on the Motion of Lord Davies on the Italo-Abyssinian dispute. In view of the number of those desiring to take part in that debate it would, I think, be for the convenience of your Lordships that we should meet on Thursday at three o'clock, which, I understand, is possible.
LORD MARLEY: My Lords, I am very much obliged to the noble Viscount. May I ask whether anything has yet been decided as to the date on which the House will reassemble after the Christmas Recess?
VISCOUNT HALIFAX: I am afraid I cannot give the noble Lord any firm information about that to-night, but as soon as I am in a position to do so I will give the information.
VISCOUNT MERSEY: Is it proposed to have a Royal Commission on Thursday night?
VISCOUNT HALIFAX: No, on Friday. I understand that we may expect a Bill from another place to-day and that it may be here in a few minutes. Therefore I move that we now adjourn during pleasure pending the receipt of that Bill.
House adjourned during pleasure.
House resumed.

RAILWAYS (AGREEMENT) BILL.
Brought from the Commons, endorsed with the Certificate from the Speaker that the Bill is a Money Bill within the meaning of the Parliament Act, 1911; read 1a; and to be printed.
House adjourned at a quarter before five o'clock.