Hon. Lionel Berry: asked the Minister of Labour the number of operatives at present employed in the building industry; the number so employed at the outbreak of war; and how many of these are now serving in the armed forces of the Crown.
Hon. Lionel Berry: I beg to move, in page 36, line 8, to leave out Sub-section (5). This Sub-section defines the meaning of "reasonably beneficial use." I am not sure that there is any real need to define what is reasonably beneficial use, and, if one studies this definition, it appears to say that any building or land that has been damaged can be considered as not available for reasonably beneficial use, and...
Hon. Lionel Berry: May I ask the learned Attorney-General if we can have a reply to the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Colchester (Mr. Lewis) about people who are affected by the previous Amendment? A reply may have been given by him, but if so it was not clear to some of us.
Hon. Lionel Berry: asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is satisfied that adequate facilities exist in the Bletchley area for repairing tractors and shoeing horses in view of the fact that virtually the only service now available is provided by two Italian prisoners.
Hon. Lionel Berry: I beg to second the Amendment to the proposed Amendment.
Hon. Lionel Berry: The Minister indicated that he thought the Debate would revolve on three separate subjects, the B.B.C., propaganda abroad, and the censorship department at home. Anyone who has listened to the Debate can be certain that that is the line it has taken. I should like to make a few remarks on the subject of the censorship, particularly the Press censorship, of which I have some personal...
Hon. Lionel Berry: I do not agree with the last speaker. There is a question of principle involved. I support this Amendment because, on a previous occasion, the whole question was thrashed out, of which form of words is right and which is wrong. Personally, I am not satisfied myself that anyone can be satisfied unless he "has reasonable cause to believe." Are we not entitled to have some explanation, from say...
Hon. Lionel Berry: I support the Amendment, which has been so ably moved. I am not at all convinced by the arguments of the Minister, whose analogy of the motor car seemed most inappropriate. If a man wishes to obtain a licence to drive a motor car he usually goes through a test in order to see whether he is capable of driving properly.
Hon. Lionel Berry: What the Minister is doing in this Bill is not to give the farmer any right to have a test at all. He or his officials will decide that a man will not make a good dairy farmer and the man will not have an opportunity of undergoing a test.
Hon. Lionel Berry: With due respect to my right hon. Friend, there is nothing in this Bill about giving a test of any kind, or an examination by the Minister or any of his staff. I think it is wrong to balance the rights of the individual against clean milk. I am convinced that we could have both. That argument was made clear on the last Amendment. Those who say that people should have clean milk at the expense...
Hon. Lionel Berry: I have listened to all the speeches that have been made on this Amendment. I do not think there is any doubt that every Member of the Committee is in sympathy with the idea behind it, but I do not think we are now discussing whether these pensions are adequate or just. I feel that the Chancellor has already made concessions which should be, and are, appreciated —as I know—by the...
Hon. Lionel Berry: I appreciate the point made by my hon. Friend in trying to cover the Reinstatement in Civil Employment Bill, but he has taken it a good deal further than that in making this apply to any Act which may be passed in the future. When an employer re-engages or engages further members of his staff, if the proportion of disabled in the total number becomes less than his quota he must engage...
Hon. Lionel Berry: I beg to move, in page 8, line 28, to leave out "shall," and to insert "may." The Amendments which follow on the Order Paper in the name of my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Daventry (Major Manningham-Buller) and myself are consequential. The point of this one is to say that the umpire or deputy-umpire shall not be forced to have two assessors appointed by the Minister sitting with...
Hon. Lionel Berry: Could my hon. and learned Friend give an explanation of the Subsection proviso which I did not specifically mention? It is the subject of the last of these series of Amendments—in page 8, to leave out lines 31 to 36.
Hon. Lionel Berry: In view of the explanation which my right hon. and learned Friend has given, although I still feel it might be preferable to have "may" instead of "shall," I ask leave to withdraw the Amendment.
Hon. Lionel Berry: I beg to move, in page 3, line 21, after "any," to insert "disabled." The point of this Amendment concerns the powers of the Minister. It seems to me that not only might he make regulations which affect disabled persons but also regulations for people who are not disabled. The marginal heading at the side of the Clause includes the word "disabled," and I suggest that it might as well be...
Hon. Lionel Berry: In view of that very satisfactory explanation I beg leave to withdraw my Amendment.
Hon. Lionel Berry: Before we leave this Clause I think the Committee is entitled to some explanation in regard to Subsection (3). The question was raised by my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Pollok (Commander Galbraith), and I hope we shall have an answer. Unfortunately on that Amendment the Com- mittee got drawn aside to another question as to what was a body corporate and a Government Department, and...
Hon. Lionel Berry: asked the First Lord of the Admiralty why, despite the great pride taken by the public in all naval affairs, the account of the joint operation of the British and United States Navies in Northern waters during May was only released for publication on 13th December; and why, in view of the declared object of the operation, such a long delay in publication was necessary.
Hon. Lionel Berry: It is with no less than the normal amount of reluctance that I rise to speak for the first time, but I am fortified by the knowledge that you, Sir, and hon. Members are renowned for the great kindness and indulgence that they give to Members on such occasions as this. I have listened with great interest to the two speeches which have been made in moving and seconding the Amendment. While some...
