§ Sir R. Glynasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what steps are being taken in drawing up contracts to ensure that contractors engaged on the building and preparation of new aerodromes provide adequate and proper accommodation for workmen and also arrange for their transfer on the completion of the work whence they came or to another site; and whether he is aware that the plan of depending upon local labour is having a serious effect on agricultural production and is not necessarily in the best interests of the agricultural worker?
§ Sir P. SassoonIt is the practice in issuing tenders for contracts for the construction of new aerodromes to include an item for the provision of the necessary housing and canteen accommodation, or for equivalent services. The transfer of men on the completion of the work is not, however, a matter in which the Air Ministry intervene. I have no evidence that the utilisation of local labour is having any serious effect on agricultural production but in all building contracts the attention of the contractor is specially drawn to the desirability of utilising the Employment Exchanges and of avoiding the withdrawal to the temporary work involved in the contract of men who normally are permanently employed in agriculture.