BRITISH MANPOWER SITUATION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 19 August 1941, Page 5

BRITISH MANPOWER SITUATION

DEMAND FOR MORE WOMEN FAVOURABLE RESPONSE TO t \LI UP (Roc. 10.52 a.m.) Rugby, Aug. 18 The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour, Mr R. Asshcton, sneaking in London, said: “I think the country is beginning to realise the very great difficulties of the manpower situation. As the war develops the strain upon our manpower and womanpOwer increases, and we have not only reached a point when there is no surplus manpower available but we have teached a point where it is becoming very difficult to satisfy all our important needs. “We must remember that there arc many demands in this war which we did not have to meet in the last war. There is to begin with the vast new demand for men to the R.A.F. and the great aircraft industry which supports it There is also the entirely new demand for the civil defence service and the fire service owing to the fact that wc meet the war in our own homes as well as in the battle fronts overseas. “As more and more men arc called un the demand for women to take their places grows, and at the present time the services arc badly in need of v. omen to do the work which previously was done by men who are thus released for duties which women canrot undertake. Although there is no conscription for women for the forces in the normally accepted use of that word, there certainly is compulsion for war work and compulsion will be applied in cases where this is necessary. “Our experience so far in dealing with the call-up of women has been very favourable. Gii * : generally are j ready and willing to do what is wanted and I need hardly say they arc most I anxious to help their country.’—B.O.W.