§ Mr. Ness Edwardsasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will inquire into the sending of unemployed persons from the Rhymney Valley to a certain factory who, on arrival at the factory, had to wait many hours for interview and were told that they were not wanted; whether he will inquire into the general conditions under which labour is requisitioned at this factory and the conditions under which interviews and examinations are conducted?
§ Sir V. WarrenderThe incident to which my hon. Friend refers in the first part of the Question, concerns eight men from the Rhymney Valley who, on 19th January, unfortunately had to wait two hours for medical examination, because the medical officer had been summoned urgently to an accident some miles away. As the officer had not returned at the end of two hours the men were asked to return on 22nd January, when they were examined and commenced work. Arrangements have been made to ensure in future that even if a similar call for medical help should occur, there will nevertheless be a doctor available to examine applicants on days when fresh staff is being entered. As regards the second part of the Question, applicants for employment are brought to the factory by special buses. Those coming from the greatest distance arrive between noon and 1 p.m. and they are interviewed on arrival as to suitability. Selected candidates are then examined by the medical officer. The interviews are carried out in a heated building where seating accommodation is provided, and the medical examination is carried out at the factory hospital which is situated only 100 yards from the interviewing office.