Mr John Jones: It is accurate.
Mr John Jones: It does.
Mr John Jones: What about materials?
Mr John Jones: Look at the steel industry—the more they make, the merrier.
Mr John Jones: He did say that.
Mr John Jones: May I ask the hon. and gallant Member, who has an intimate knowledge of and close association with the industry, show many British-owned ships fly foreign flags of convenience?
Mr John Jones: It is a fair question.
Mr John Jones: We have heard a series of varied speeches, all of which point to the things which beset us through the lack of business in the shipping industry. We have heard the story of the flags of convenience and the subsidised building of ships abroad, of the lines of demarcation and of the evil men who build the ships, but who will not work. I myself may be assumed to have no right to speak in this...
Mr John Jones: I have just said that. Those were my last words. I said that there were sometimes diehard employers. But I do not believe that a strike should be called at the instigation of one man. It should go through orthodox, constitutional, trade union channels and be decided by the executive of the union and officially declared, if it is necessary. That is how trade unionism should work —and I have...
Mr John Jones: Practices.
Mr John Jones: Would the right hon. Gentleman send a special message to those persons who, less than a week ago, put up thousands of notices on almost every tree around Salisbury saying, "Vote no or go"—ex-members of the Conservative Party, British capital advocating the breakdown of this referendum?
Mr John Jones: If the noble Lord had his way it would still be based on property.
Mr John Jones: I stand before the House as a completely new boy in colonial affairs. I have never been a member of my own party's colonial committee and, therefore, I cannot be accused of being biased in any way in this debate. I am probably the last Member for Parliament to have been in Rhodesia. I left late last Friday, having been there for 17 or 18 days. I know it is said that no one can learn much in...
Mr John Jones: The steel trade union executive will be meeting at ten o'clock in the morning.
Mr John Jones: I have listened carefully to everything which has been said about the fuel tax this afternoon. The debate proves what a queer sort of Chancellor we have to look after the finances of a queer sort of Government. It puzzles me how the right hon. and learned Gentleman can tell the country and the executives of big industry, "You are not pulling your weight. You are not exporting enough. To turn...
Mr John Jones: The hon. Member asks me to withdraw that statement unequivocally, but I do not do so although, perhaps, in making the statement that he was paid I should have said that he was a director of many firms connected with fuel, making fuel appliances, and so on——
Mr John Jones: I am prepared to do that, Mr. Thomas. Apparently I have been wrongly advised. I apologise quite sincerely to the hon. Member. But, following on that, I must add that I shall make inquiries to find out where those giving the information got it wrong. In any case, I will not quarrel with the hon. Member for Kidderminster about this. He is perfectly justified in putting forward his case, both...
Mr John Jones: This is vitally important. The Minister is now quoting figures regarding the value of these stocks when they were originally bought by the State and their value now when they are being sold to speculators. Will he tell the House their value today compared with their value when the State took over, and subsequently made improvements to the tune of £16 million or £18 million?
Mr John Jones: Oh.
Mr John Jones: Is the hon. Member starting off by trying to make out a case that the Stock Exchange does not reflect prices, equity value and profitability of the various concerns making steel? Is that the argument?
