Labour’s Censure Motion Defeated in House of Commons

Northern Advocate, 18 February 1939, Page 7

Labour’s Censure Motion Defeated in House of Commons

LONDON, February 17,

A DEBATE ON UNEMPLOYMENT WAS RAISED IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON THE LABOUR RESOLUTIONS MOVED BY MR ARTHUR GREENWOOD.

The motion which was defeated by 334 votes to 146 votes, regretted the continued failure of the Government either to produce definite plans for the provision of work and wages under the present system, or to-in-itiate a policy which recognised that the problem could only be solved by the application of Socialist principles.

In calling upon the Government to advance proposals to meet the situation, Mr Greenwood reviewed the position in the shipbuilding, cotton, agricultural and oilier industries, which he said were in a depressed condition. He contrasted this fact with the assertion in the memorandum of the Royal Economic Society that the increase in physical output per operative for the last five years amounted to 27 per cent., and, in the case of the engineerinb industry to 57 per cent.

Mr Greenwood urged ’ the need for great public schemes of land drainage ,and the development of ro ads and transport, as well as work in connection with the protection of the civil population in the time of war.

Government’s Reply. The Minister of Labour, Mr Ernest Brown, said that, although there was no difference in the country about the gravity of some aspects of the problem, it could not be stated in the terms which Mr Greenwood had used. The president of the Board of Trade, Mr Oliver Stanley, said the Government would like to see Van Zeeeland report operating, but, looking at the world, he did not believe that a world conference for lowering trade barriers could be anything but an ignominous failure Hope Lies in Export Trade. Our hope for the future, Mr Stanley added, -lay in the export trade. If we could hold and increase it in the coming year, an effective inroad would be made on unemployment. He believed the whole country was ready for a forward move if the fear of war could be removed.

There were countries complaining of a shortage pf raw materials which would get less, if all their demands were granted, than was obtainable by the stoke of a pen in removing the tension they had created. He believed there had been a lightening of the tension in the last few weeks. “Standing Army” Repudiated. Mr Ernest Brown denied the existence of what had been described as a 1 standing army of 2,000,000 unemployed, He said that actually, when the next count of figures was revealed, it would show that the total was not 2,000,000. Of the total unemployed at the last count, on December a, 72 per cent had been out of work for less than six weeks. There was not, therefore, a “standing army”. Grants for public works last year amounted to £300,000.000. There had been a change in the number of the long term unemployed which must be considered gratifying. Tire constructive wotk done by the Government was having its effect, in that they were dealing now with a smaller number of long term unemployed than for years. Training of Unemployed.

The Minister reviewed the work of Government training, and expressed the hope that its success would solve the problem of long term unemployment, namely, lack of training. He said there were 20 residential instructional centres and two non-residential centres.

At any given time there were 22,000 men in the residential and 4000 in the non-residential centre.

Mr Brown proceeded to discuss the opportunities for employment in the home defence programme,' including the provision, at a cost of £29,('00,000, of a vast amount of constructive work in the strengthening of basements and the provision of domestic and communal shelters.

Major Lloyd George urged the necessity of measures for reviving the export trade and advocated full inquiry into conditions of agriculture. Competition to be Met.

Mr Anthony Eden referred with approval to a recent declaration*by Mr Oliver Stanley, and Mr R. S. Hudson, Parliamentary Secretary for Overseas Trade, in reference to the new form of competition abroad which had to be met.. 1

He said that if all nations would join in putting into force the Van Zeeland report there would be a great improvement, but unfortunately some nations were not yet convinced of that. Mr Eden also recommended consideration of the construction of camps, which, he believed, would make an appeal to the younger unemployed.

He advocated the extension to other areas of schemes such as those already put into operation in the special areas, and said he saw no reason why Britain could not have its own four year plan, comprising construction camps, amenity schemes and special housing schemes.