§ Mr. Kellyasked the Minister of Labour whether he can make any statement on the committee which has been set up by the International Labour Office to investigate problems of agricultural labour?
§ Mr. E. BrownThe Permanent Agricultural Committee recently set up by the Governing Body of the International Labour Office includes six representatives of employers, six representatives of workers' agricultural organisations and 733W 15 individual agricultural experts, as well as representatives of a number of International Organisations connected with agriculture. The Nationals of 24 different countries are represented on the Committee. Mr. G. Deakin, of the National Farmers' Union, and Mr. W, Holmes, of the National Union of Agricultural Workers, are members. The first Session of the Committee was held in February of this year when the questions of holidays with pay, hours of work, protection of child labour, and wage regulation in agriculture, were discussed. The Committee were assisted in their consideration of these questions by a series of reports which had been prepared by certain of its members.
It has been decided to publish these reports in a single volume which will also include the report which was finally adopted by the Committee. This report, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy, contained various proposals for the further consideration of the subjects referred to and of others related to the social and labour problems of agriculture, including proposals that the questions of holidays with pay and of wage regulation in agriculture should be placed upon the Agenda of one of the next Sessions of the International Labour Conference. These proposals were considered by the Governing Body at its meeting in April, when, however, no final decisions were taken. The question of the date and Agenda of the next meeting of the Committee will be before the Governing Body at its Session in October next.