§ Major KELLEYasked the Minister of Labour whether, to avoid suffering among the unemployed men who have marched to London and in the interests of good order, the Government will assist these men to return home or will ask Metropolitan and provincial Poor Law authorities to consider the concerting of measures for aiding such a return?
§ Sir M. BARLOWThe Government have every sympathy with these unemployed men individually, but they are bound to point out that the march to London was continued in spite of public notification that the whole problem of unemployment was being examined by the Cabinet Unemployment Committee and that no useful purpose would be served by the march. In these circumstances the responsibility for the return of the men would seem to rest on those who persisted in bringing them to London. The Poor Law authorities will, of course, give such assistance as they are empowered and required to give in accordance with their statutory duty of relieving the destitute.