House of Commons debates

Thursday, 29 February 1940

  • Preamble

    The House met at a Quarter before Three of the Clock, Mr. SPEAKER in the Chair.

  • New Writs.

    For the County of Chester (City of Chester Division), in the room of Sir Charles William Cayzer, Baronet, deceased.—[Captain Margesson.]

  • Oral Answers to Questions — Unemployment

    • Training.

      9 speeches

      asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that, in connection with the scheme for training unemployed as skilled workers, volunteers from Lancashire will have to travel to Yorkshire or the...

    • Benefits and Allowances.

      10 speeches

      asked the Minister of Labour whether it is intended to increase unemployment benefit and unemployment assistance allowance so as to make the payments correspond to the increase in the cost of living?

      Durham County.

      4 speeches

      Mr. David Adams: asked the Minister of Labour the total number of unemployed registered in the county of Durham during the past month; and the comparable numbers for the same period of last year?

      Printing Industry.

      6 speeches

      asked the Minister of Labour how many persons were registered as belonging to the printing trade in August, 1939, in the United Kingdom, Scotland, and England, respectively; how many,...

      Irishmen (Birmingham).

      2 speeches

      asked the Minister of Labour the number of Irishmen of military age both from Southern and Northern Ireland who are registered as being employed in the Birmingham area, and, as large numbers of...

      Fifeshire.

      4 speeches

      asked the Minister of Labour the number of unemployed men and women, respectively, registered as being unemployed in the county of Fife on the last convenient date, and the corresponding number...

      Nurses.

      4 speeches

      Mr. Rostron Duckworth: asked the Minister of Labour how many nurses are now unemployed; and whether the exchanges are being asked to supply fully-trained or semi-skilled nurses?

      Statistics.

      6 speeches

      asked the Minister of Labour what is the total number of men, women and boys partially employed and in receipt of unemployment benefit?

      Returns.

      2 speeches

      asked the Minister of Labour why the unemployment returns are still published in a misleading form, notwithstanding the protests of the chambers of commerce in April, 1939; and will he arrange...

      Labour Supply (Engineering).

      4 speeches

      asked the Minister of Labour whether he has considered a communication from the Midland Council of the National Union of Manufacturers submitting reasons for the making of an order under the...

  • Oral Answers to Questions — Military Service.

    • EmployÉS, Dismissal.

      3 speeches

      Mr. Jenkins: asked the Minister of Labour the number of complaints made to his Department concerning the dismissal from employment of young men whose ages will shortly render them liable for...

    • Medical Boards.

      8 speeches

      asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons examined by the medical boards under the Military Service Acts since the outbreak of war; and the numbers placed in each grade by the board;...

      Nervous Stability.

      5 speeches

      asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that men are being passed into the Army who, on being boarded, are not questioned concerning illness of a neurotic or psychological nature in...

  • Oral Answers to Questions — Government Departments.

    • Central Register, Ministry of Labour.

      6 speeches

      asked the Minister of Labour the approximate cost to date, of the Central Register of his Department; and the number of persons who have signed that register who have been placed in employment?

    • Assistance Board (Staff).

      2 speeches

      asked the Minister of Health (1) whether he will give an assurance that those members of the public assistance staff now serving with His Majesty's Forces will be given an opportunity to transfer...

      King's National Roll.

      8 speeches

      asked the Minister of Labour whether the Resolution passed by both Houses of Parliament on 16th February, 1926, concerning the provision of employment for disabled ex-service men by the...

  • Oral Answers to Questions — Civil Defence.

    • Air-Raid Precautions (School Grants).

      14 speeches

      asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will reconsider the percentage of grant to be paid to local education authorities on expenditure incurred in providing protection...

    • Shelters.

      11 speeches

      Mr. Jenkins: asked the Home Secretary whether he can state the number of Anderson shelters supplied in Newport (Monmouthshire), Cardiff and Swansea; and whether, and when, it is intended to...

      Air-Raid Precautions Personnel (Refunds).

      6 speeches

      asked the Home Secretary to what extent the air-raid precautions personnel in certain districts have refunded to the Home Office monthly funds issued for salary; and in what districts?

      Factories (Black-Out).

      6 speeches

      asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware of complaints that some factory-owners in their black-out arrangements never admit daylight through the windows of their premises; and will he call...

      Auxiliary Fire Service, Bristol.

      7 speeches

      asked the Home Secretary (1) how many whole-time men in the Bristol Auxiliary Fire Service are in the age groups 25 to 29; (2) what is the authorised strength of whole-time firemen in the...

      Black-Out Shutter.

      2 speeches

      asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the inexpensive black-out shutter used by the Portsmouth air-raid precautions authorities which combines a complete black-out...

      Regional Commissioner, Yorkshire (Staff).

      2 speeches

      asked the Home Secretary the total number of persons employed in the Regional Commissioner's Department for the West Riding of Yorkshire; and what is the cost for all purposes of such Department,...

      Air-Raid Precautions (Vehicles).

      6 speeches

      asked the Home Secretary whether those local authorities which still require vehicles for air-raid precautions purposes will be supplied through Regional Transport Commissioners with vehicles...

      Billeting.

      6 speeches

      asked the Minister of Health whether it has yet been possible to evolve a plan to help the small hotel and boarding-house proprietors in seaside towns whose incomes will suffer materially if they...

      Evacuation (Durham County).

      2 speeches

      Mr. W. Joseph Stewart: asked the Minister of Health the number of women and children that have been evacuated from the county of Durham, the areas from which they were drawn, and the number that...

      Ambulance Vehicles (Hiring).

      4 speeches

      asked the Minister of Health why he is requiring local authorities to hire vehicles temporarily adapted for ambulance purposes at an annual cost in excess of the sum for which the vehicles could...

      House-to-House Collections.

      7 speeches

      asked the Home Secretary whether, in considering the granting of licences to charitable collecting societies, he will bear in mind the evidence produced before the Select Committee against the...

      Subversive Activities (United Kingdom and France).

      4 speeches

      asked the Home Secretary whether, for the better prosecution of the present war, he is taking steps to correlate the activities of his Department in regard to Communists with those undertaken for...

      War Charities.

      2 speeches

      asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the possibility of a large amount of money and effort being wasted in connection with war charities owing to lack of organisation, he will now...

      Meeting, Finsbury Pavement (Arrest).

      5 speeches

      asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that, at a meeting at Finsbury Pavement, last Thursday, a speaker, who stated that this was a capitalist's war, was not arrested by the police,...

      Enemy Aliens.

      5 speeches

      asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been drawn to the case of a German, Wilhelm Solf, aged 25, who was convicted on the 26th February, of photographing a crashed aeroplane near...

      Shop Hours.

      5 speeches

      asked the Home Secretary whether he has considered a communication from a mass meeting of shop- workers, attended by over 1,000 at Hammersmith on Sunday last, protesting against any extension of...

      Finland (Assistance).

      3 speeches

      asked the Prime Minister whether he will grant a day, or part of a day, for the discussion of the Motion standing in the name of the hon. Member for Handsworth?

      Peace Pledge Union.

      10 speeches

      asked the Home Secretary what action he proposes to take in view of the intention of the Peace Pledge Union to start a national campaign on 9th March to end the war at once, in view of the fact...

      Distribution of Industrial Population.

      2 speeches

      asked the Prime Minister what consideration is being given to the report of the Royal Commission on the Distribution of the Industrial Population; and whether it is intended to implement all or...

  • Oral Answers to Questions — Education.

    • Nursery Centres.

      6 speeches

      asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education how many nursery centres have been established under his Circular 1936; and what pressure he is applying to local authorities to secure...

    • Schoolchildren's Footwear, Durham County.

      6 speeches

      asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he is aware that teachers in the County of Durham are voluntarily contributing towards a fund for the purpose of providing...

      Free Meals.

      8 speeches

      asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he is aware that, in the opinion of school-teachers in the county of Durham, the provision of milk at reduced prices or given...

      Medical Inspection.

      4 speeches

      Mr. David Adams: asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education how many school children in this country are now receiving medical inspection on the same footing as before the...

      Senior School, Bridgend.

      2 speeches

      asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he will take steps to authorise the requisite quantity of timber to complete the Bridgend senior school, in order to...

  • Oral Answers to Questions — Public Health.

    • Influenza and Bronchitis.

      6 speeches

      asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the large increase in the number of persons incapacitated by influenza and bronchitis, the effect this has had on the production of munitions,...

    • Venereal Disease.

      2 speeches

      asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the views of the British Social Hygiene Council, supported by many local authorities, in favour of Treasury assistance to local authorities to...

      Milk for Children.

      2 speeches

      asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the proposal to supply liquid milk to municipalities for the use of young children and infants at their homes, as outlined by the Ministry...

      National Health Insurance.

      2 speeches

      asked the Minister of Health whether he is prepared to take steps to raise the rate of 7s. 6d. per week for permanent disability under National Health Insurance in order to meet the increased...

  • Oral Answers to Questions — Rating.

    • Armed Forces.

      4 speeches

      asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the hardship caused to men called up for service with His Majesty's Forces who are compelled to pay rates on houses vacated by them but where...

    • Small Shopkeepers.

      4 speeches

      asked the Minister of Health whether he contemplates legislation to relieve the incidence of rating on small shopkeepers and others heavily hit by the black-out, evacuation and other emergency...

      Housing (Rents).

      2 speeches

      asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that cases have occurred where increased allowances of 2s. have been granted by the Unemployment Assistance Board in December last to cover...

      Salvage (Local Authorities).

      2 speeches

      asked the Minister of Health whether he will consider giving local authorities power to make by-laws so as to make the collection of feeding-stuffs, waste paper, etc., easier by having them...

      Camps.

      10 speeches

      Mr. W. Joseph Stewart: asked the Minister of Health whether it is the intention of the Government to establish any school camps in the county of Durham, and, if so, when and where?

      India (Defence Expenditure).

      2 speeches

      asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether His Majesty's Government propose to proceed with the programme for the modernisation of the Defence Forces in India recommended by Lord...

  • Business of the House.

    4 speeches

    May I ask the Prime Minister whether he will state the business for next week?

  • Orders of the Day — Old Age and Widows'pensions Bill.

    294 speeches

    Considered in Committee. (Progress, 28th February.)

  • Orders of the Day — Government of India Act, 1935.

    Order read for resuming Adjourned Debate on Question. [15th February.] That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty in pursuance of the provisions of Section 309 of the Government of India...

  • Orders of the Day — Government of Burma Act, 1935.

    Order read for resuming adjourned Debate on Question [15th February], That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty in pursuance of the provisions of Section 157 of the Government of Burma...

What is this?

Debates in the House of Commons are an opportunity for MPs from all parties to scrutinise government legislation and raise important local, national or topical issues.

And sometimes to shout at each other.

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