Mr. TREVELYAN THOMSONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that, owing to the failure of the Railway Executive Committee to supply adequate railway wagons to the Middlesbrough district, one of the largest steel works in the area, employing 2,000 men, has been forced to close down its mills this week, and that other steel works are on the eve of being compelled to do so; is he aware that the stocks of steel in the Middlesbrough district, exclusive of shell steel, amount to over 60,000 tons, and that in consequence of the congestion of stocks, due to the insufficient supply of wagons, they are unable to continue operations; that this stoppage will seriously affect the shipbuilding and engineering industries on the North-East Coast, and will have the effect of creating unemployment in the adjacent coal mines and the local ironstone mines; and whether he proposes to take any steps to deal with the situation?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANThis question is now being dealt with by the Railway Executive Committee, and arrangements are being made which will, it is hoped, effect an improvement within the next few days.