Peers Vote Against British Labour Government Policy

Grey River Argus, 22 March 1947, Page 5

Peers Vote Against British Labour Government Policy

LONDON, March 20

The House carried a motion by Lord Renell, deploring the inadequacy of the measures taken and proposed by the Government to remedv Britain’s economic s-ituation, by 119 votes to 30.

Lord Renell said the White Paper contained no plan, and scarcely even a policy. There was a lack of unified policy between Government departments. The Mnisters should co-or-dinate their plans and the Cabinet should decide. Lord Swinton said that Empire trading would become more important than ever when they reached the critical date of July 15, when sterling balances would become liquid.

The Archbishop of York (Dr. Garbutt) said that unless production increased, Britain’? international importance would gradually fade. He believed the crisis was largely moral and spiritual. There was widespread apathy throughout the country. Lord Pethick-Lawrence said the Government realised that the production of 200,000,000 tons of coal a year mentioned in the White Paper was too low for all needs, but the Government had inserted a realistic figure, and would be happy if it surpassed it. It would have been a disastrous policy to put Poles in the mines before the miners were willing to accept them. A start would be made by training 500 Poles weekly. Lord Quibcll criticised trade unions which banned the bonus system and piecework. He said he got men to lay 1000 bricks a day under a bonus system.