– in the House of Commons at on 16 April 1929.
Mr William Kelly
, Rochdale
asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will state the number of civilians employed by the Admiralty in dockyards abroad in March, 1914, 1928, and 1929?
Mr William Bridgeman
, Oswestry
The figures as regards employés in the industrial classes are 10,831 in 1914, 15,071 in 1928, and 15,436 in 1929. The figures for the non-industrial classes are 549 in 1914, 990 in 1928, and 976 in 1929.
Mr William Kelly
, Rochdale
Are these people recruited from the districts where the dockyards are situated or are many men sent out from this country?
Mr William Bridgeman
, Oswestry
I cannot give a detailed answer to that question. A large amount of the increase is caused by the increase of the Mediterranean Fleet at Malta, where the Majority of the workmen are local men.
Mr Leslie Hore-Belisha
, Plymouth, Devonport
Does the right hon. Gentleman take every step to give unemployed dockyard men from this country an opportunity of going abroad?
Mr William Bridgeman
, Oswestry
Some of the places where men are required would not be suitable for dockyard men from home. If they desire to go, I should he quite prepared to consider the advisability of their going, but the conditions are not suitable in some cases.
The term "majority" is used in two ways in Parliament. Firstly a Government cannot operate effectively unless it can command a majority in the House of Commons - a majority means winning more than 50% of the votes in a division. Should a Government fail to hold the confidence of the House, it has to hold a General Election. Secondly the term can also be used in an election, where it refers to the margin which the candidate with the most votes has over the candidate coming second. To win a seat a candidate need only have a majority of 1.
