Ministry of Labour.

Part of Civil Estimates, 1929. – in the House of Commons at on 24 April 1929.

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Photo of Mr Arthur Steel-Maitland Mr Arthur Steel-Maitland , Birmingham Erdington

We always, naturally, take the advice of our expert helpers and assistants, and, having taken that advice, we profoundly disbelieve in that scheme as much as, or more than, before we took this advice. Let me give the Committee one reason why. The right hon. Member for Carnarvon Boroughs has pledged himself that he can set 700,000 men to work within a year. I ask anyone to take the live register to-day and analyse it and see how far that proposal is possible. On the live register to-day there are 1,153,000 persons. There is, first, the large number of women, girls and boys whom you could hardly set to work on these public works. There are 262,000 of them to be deducted straight away in order to arrive at the total from which the right hon. Member for Carnarvon Boroughs can get his 700,000. That leaves him with 880,000 from which to choose. The right hon. Gentleman in his scheme says distinctly—I think it is on page 59—that he is not going to take away half-timers from employment, and therefore they must also be left out. There are 151,000 of these. That reduces the figure from 888,000 to 737,000, out of which the Liberal leader is to get his 700,000. I next come to the class of casuals. There are 77,000 on the register to-day, and the greater proportion of these are men employed on docks, canals and rivers, men who may have two or three or four days' work each week. You cannot take those right away and put them on a road miles away.