§ Major KELLEYasked the Prime Minister whether he proposes legislation to carry out the recommendation of the Geddes Committee that the great industries of the country should each be responsible for making its own provision against unemployment, or whether he will call a national conference of employers' organisations and trade unions to discuss this proposal?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThis is clearly a matter in which the success of any action taken depends upon obtaining a large measure of common agreement among those concerned. As a first step, in order to ascertain the views of industrial organisations, a circular letter of inquiry, of which I am sending a copy to my hon. and gallant Friend, was issued last February by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour. The replies so far received indicate a considerable diversity of opinion; but many important organisations have not yet replied, and my right hon. Friend is communicating again with them, in order to expedite a reply, as far as this may be practicable. As-, soon as a sufficient volume of opinion has-been expressed, my right hon. Friend will take such further action as may seem best fitted to promote the object in view.