§ Mr. ANDERSONasked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been called to statements made by representatives of Government Departments, including Mr. Benn and Mr. Hope, at conferences of employers and workmen in various industries, including the starch and blue industry and the rope and hemp industry, to the effect that Protection was no longer a party question but a business question, and that the Whitley Industrial Committees might set to work on the matter and could probably settle it in a satisfactory way without the intervention of Parliament; and whether it is the intention of his Department that matters of political controversy should be referred to these industrial councils?
§ Dr. ADDISONI have been asked by my right hon. Friend to answer this question. Complaints have reached me that 193W statements of the kind referred to have been made at joint conferences of employers and workmen. I understand that Mr. Benn has never given expression to the views indicated in the question, but I believe that Mr. Hope has from time to time expressed opinions on Protection at these conferences, though I cannot say whether he has done so in the precise terms referred to in the question. Apart from any work which they may be asked to undertake on behalf of Government Departments, it will, of course, be competent for joint industrial councils to discuss any matters which they believe are of importance to the industry, but I should, of course, deprecate most strongly any attempt on the part of representatives of my Department to use these councils for the purpose of fiscal propaganda whether on behalf of Protection or Free Trade.