§ Mr. KIRKWOODasked the Lord Privy Seal if his attention has been called to the fact that the output per man in the shipyards has been increased from 6.7 tons to 9.9 tons, an increase of almost 50 per cent. per man employed, the tonnage increasing from 1,538,052, with men employed 229,379, in 1921, to 1,560,254 in 1929, with number of men employed 156,938, during the last eight years; and 1181W whether the rationalisation plans of the Government are to be applied to this industry?
Mr. THOMASI am afraid that the figures to which my hon. Friend refers do not present a sufficiently comprehensive statement of the work carried out in the shipbuilding and other industries covered by the figures relating to the numbers employed to justify the deduction he has drawn. As he is aware, the question of the improvement of production has been the subject of inquiry by the employers and the trade unions jointly. As regards the last part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on the 28th January to the hon. Member for Pudsey and Otley, of which I am sending him a copy.