§ Mr. GALLACHERasked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been drawn to the agreement just entered into between the Government of New Zealand and public works employés wherein their working week is reduced from 47 to 40 hours without any reduction in pay, whilst all such employés shall have a fully-paid annual vacation; and whether he would consider the application of a similar scheme to Government and municipal employés in this country as a means of absorbing a proportion of the unemployed and increasing the opportunities for leisure of a large section of the population?
§ Mr. E. BROWNI have seen reports in the Press on the subject to which the hon. Member refers, but the nature of the action taken is not clear from those reports, and no official information is yet available. The question of the value of a reduction of hours of work to 40 a week as a means of absorbing unemployed is a matter of policy which is not capable of being dealt with by way of question and answer. I must ask the hon. Member to await the Debate on the subject which is due to take place at an early date.