Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am ar 25 Mawrth 1943.
I have come into contact with a considerable number of these cases which are giving very great concern to manufacturers. It is all very well to say they will be able to put it right out of E.P.T. when they get it refunded, but there are smaller manufacturers who are not making any excess profits. The most urgent problem we shall have at the end of the war will be to get our people back to work. These transfers were made during a period of great stress. I can give a case in which a firm was ordered to leave a certain district. The plant was put on the lorry and sent away for fear the factory might be hit that night. It was parked in the country and the firm looked round for premises next day. When that sort of thing was happening ideal premises were not obtained. In some cases people were moved out of their factories in order to make room for others. You will not be able to leave the cuckoos in these nests, because those who were moved out have been promised their premises back after the war. We shall want to find work for both. It would be of very great assistance to those working the factories if the Financial Secretary would make some pronouncement which would ease their minds.