HOUSE OF COMMONS

Evening Star, Issue 19722, 24 November 1927, Page 5

HOUSE OF COMMONS

THE MINING INDUSTRY GOVERNMENT CONSIDERED PROBLEM MR BALDWIN’S SILENCE. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, November 22. In the House of Commons Air Baldwin told Lord Cavendish-Bentinck that the Government had given attention to all aspects of the mining problem. It was impossible, in the course of an answer to a question, to deal with members’ suggestions lor increasing the school leaving age in colliery districts, superannuation of miners at 60, and the improvement of housing. Lord Cavendish-Bentinck: Have you given attention to Sir Alferd Mond’s declaration in the Press that the “Government can no longer remain aloof and indifferent to the serious crisis in the mining industry?” Sir Baldwin did not rise, and the Laborites shouted, “ Answer, answer.” Sir A. H. Sinclair: Will Sir Baldwin answer in the course of the debate? Sir Tom Williams: Don’t ask questions. Show that it is the Government’s duty to attempt to solve the problem. Sir J. Westward: Does Sir Baldwin’s silence mean that the seriousness of the problem has made him speechless ?

The Speaker called on the next question. , ' Sir Baldwin later told Sir Ramsay SlacDonald that the latter’s coal censure motion might be taken on November 29, provided the committee stage of the Unemployment Insurance Bill was finished by November 28. Sir G. R. Lane-Pox, in answer to a question, said that there were 923 fatalities in mines in 1925 and 943 in 1927, while the figures for serious accidents were 3,707 and 3,889 respectively. Mine accidents were always fluctuating, and he did not agree that the above increases were attributable to the longer working hours. Sir Winston Churchill, in answer to a question, said that ho did not propose to legislate to prohibit the raising of foreign loans in Britain. Sir J. Slaxton: Can Britain continue to have her resources drained in order to develop foreign competitors’ enterrjJl’lSGS P Mr Churchill said that he had always been led to believe that these -loans must leave the country in the form of British goods. . • Dr Graham-Little introduced a Bill providing that certain communications between doctors and patients should be privileged and not disclosablo in evidence. Ho pointed out that, following on the Royal Commission on Venereal Disease in 1916, regulations were issued making information between doctors and patients absolutely confidential, and an explicit assurance was given that the clinics would observe the strictest secrecy. Mr Justice M'Cardlo, by a recent decision, had shattered that assurance, and affronted Parliament by ordering a disclosure-by a (lector, 1 he Bill was road a first time. MONEY IN RUSSIAN SECURITIES. GOVERNMENT ADVANCES IMPOSSIBLE. LONDON, November 23. (Received November 24, at 9.20 a.m.) Mr Arthur Samuel told an inquirer in the House of Commons that it was out of the question for the Government to make advances of 20 per cent, of the face value of British business people’s investments in Russian securities, which the Soviet had repudiated, as the loans would be repayable when the Russians recognised their liabilities. Mr 0. Buchanan: “Are these investors receiving parish relief?”. There was no answer.—A. and N.Z. and ‘ Sun ’ Cable.