§ LORD BARNBYMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government if they will state the decrease in the recorded numbers of operatives gainfully employed in: (a) the cotton textile industry; (b) the engineering industries (including automotive workers), between 1st January, 1955, and 30th July, 1956]
THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF DEFENCE (THE EARL OF GOSFORD)My Lords, I regret that statistics of employment in the cotton textile industry and the engineering industries are not available for the full period asked for by the noble Lord as the figures for June, 1956, have not yet been collated. However, between December 31, 1954, and May 31, 1956, employment in the cotton industry fell by 35,000, and in the metals, engineering and vehicles industries it rose by 137,500.
§ LORD BARNBYMy Lords, arising out of that reply, and in view of the attention given by the Ministry of Labour to dismissals arising from reduced demand for products of the automotive industry, as compared with that given to the cotton textile industry, is it to be understood that the Government consider that different treatment is appropriate for the automotive industry as against the cotton textile industry? The figures which the noble Earl has just given show that the reduction of employment in automotives, which has received so much attention, is very small by comparison with the startling unemployment that has arisen in the cotton textile industry without, apparently, attracting much attention from the Government.
THE EARL OF GOSFORDMy Lords, if my noble friend means that the Ministry of Labour has accorded different treatment to workers discharged from the motor car industry from that accorded to 1283 workers discharged from the cotton industry, that is quite untrue. The services provided for persons seeking work are available equally to workers from both industries. Such differences as there may appear to be between the two cases is due to the fact that the decline in cotton employment was gradual, whereas redundancies in the motor car industry have, on one or two occasions, occurred suddenly. This has meant that much more public attention has been drawn to the motor car industry, and my right honourable friend has consequently had to describe in Parliament and to the Press the services available. This has perhaps produced the erroneous impression that assistance not available to others has been introduced for the motor car workers.
§ LORD BARNBYMy Lords, while thanking the noble Earl for his reply, may I ask if he would care to express a view whether it is to be inferred that there is a much more realistic attitude in the labour unions concerned in the textile industry as compared with that in the labour unions in the automotive industry?
THE EARL OF GOSFORDMy Lords, I cannot really see that the statement I have made produces that question. However, to satisfy the noble Lord I would say that trade union tactics have no influence on the services provided by the Ministry of Labour to industry.