Mr John Parkinson: No one can complain that we have not had a great variety of subjects presented in the course of this afternoon's Debate, and the Parliamentary Secretary has a very formidable array of questions to answer.
Mr John Parkinson: I desire at the outset to congratulate the Minister on his first speech in his new position and to assure him that he enters upon the duties of his office with the good feeling of all Members of the Committee. We realise that there is a lot of work to be done in his Department. One thing which struck me forcibly was the Minister's reference to the enforcement of regulations. That seemed to...
Mr John Parkinson: I am sure that the Committee is delighted to know that the hon. Member for Stalybridge and Hyde (Mr. Trevor Cox) is so assiduous a reader of the "Daily Herald." I am sure that he could read many worse papers, but I hope that he reads the whole of the contents and not just the particular part of the paper that deals with the finance of the things about which he spoke. It also shows at least a...
Mr John Parkinson: Nobody said so, but we have to infer that from the remark made by the Parliamentary Secretary, and by the right hon. Gentleman in his speech in the last Debate. I may be a pessimist, but if the Ministry of Labour deal with other places like they have dealt with Lancashire, or South West Lancashire, we shall never get below the present unemployment figure. They have done nothing whatever in...
Mr John Parkinson: I did not say that the right hon. Gentleman had said that, but that was the inference to be drawn from his statement.
Mr John Parkinson: Time still marches on. The Minister spoke about the ratification of the Convention. What is the position of the Government in that matter? Will they support it? I think we are entitled to ask that question.
Mr John Parkinson: The Minister chastised my hon. Friends the Members for Ince (Mr. G. Macdonald) and Workington (Mr. Cape) for not having mentioned employment and how much more the Bill would find. The hon. Member for North Leeds (Mr. Peake) stated that it would not find any more employment and that that was one of the great fallacies of the argument. Which of the two arguments is right? They cannot both be...
Mr John Parkinson: I was rather surprised at the line taken by the Mover of the Motion. It appeared to me that he would follow the line of the Motion, but he immediately went right away from it, and the question of road vehicle transport and rail transport has been the subject of the discussion rather than what is expressed in the Motion. The Motion can be easily divided into three parts: (1) That in the...
Mr John Parkinson: I am sure there is not a Member of the House who will complain of the reception which has been given to this Bill, or complain of the tone of the speeches in the Debate. It has been a Friday afternoon when it has been a pleasure to stay in the House. We have been debating something which is of material importance to the wellbeing of the community. I should also like to say that we appreciate...
Mr John Parkinson: May I ask for your guidance, Captain Bourne? Will it be in Order to have a general discussion on this Vote and the Unemployment Assistance Board Vote, which have been put down to-day?
Mr John Parkinson: This is the second day's discussion on this Vote, which was first debated on 17th May. During that discussion many important factors were dealt with, particularly in regard to the payments to unemployed persons under the regulations of the Unemployment Assistance Board. The discussion was a very beneficial one, because there have been many complaints with respect to the payment of these...
Mr John Parkinson: Will the right hon. Gentleman state the number of people employed in the whole of these factories, excluding Chorley?
Mr John Parkinson: Does the Minister mean to say that there are no general labourers, that they are all constructional workers? Surely the preponderance of workers are labourers?
Mr John Parkinson: I beg to move, to reduce the Vote by £100.
Mr John Parkinson: (forMr. Rhys Davies) asked the Minister of Labour whether he has yet directed that Section 5 of the Special Areas (Amendment) Act, 1937, shall apply to any areas where the Lancashire Site Company is prepared to operate?
Mr John Parkinson: asked the Minister of Health the number of persons in receipt of old age pensions; how many are married but whose wives are not entitled to a pension; and how many are in receipt of public assistance in the county of Lancashire and in the Wigan area, giving separate figures in each case?
Mr John Parkinson: asked the Minister of Transport whether any consideration is being given to the repair and development of canals in this country, with a view to their greater use for transporting goods and material?
Mr John Parkinson: asked the Minister of Transport the number of railway level-crossings in this country; how many bridges there are which are scheduled to carry limited weights only; and the number of people killed and injured at level-crossings during -1937?
Mr John Parkinson: asked the President of the Board of Trade how many works in the coal, steel, engineering, and cotton industries in Lancashire have been closed down since 1931, giving the number of people thrown out of employment, also the number of new works in the same industries which have been completed during the same period, and the number of people employed on the new works?
Mr John Parkinson: asked the Minister of Labour what steps are being taken to relieve unemployment in South-west Lancashire and in other Lancashire districts where unemployment is heavy?
