Unemployment Assistance Board.

Part of Civil Estimates, 1938. – in the House of Commons at on 18 July 1938.

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Photo of Sir James Henderson-Stewart Sir James Henderson-Stewart , Fife Eastern

The hon. Member began his speech by describing the attitude of the Minister of Labour as one of complacency. That is a rather unfortunate word to use in regard to the right hon. Member in view of the tireless energy he has shown throughout his term of office as Minister of Labour. If the hon. Member had used the word "confidence" it would have been more suitable because the right hon. Gentleman always gives the impression that he is on top of his job, understands it and is going to make a success of it. My right hon. Friend should gain particular satisfaction from the remarks of the last speaker when he pointed out that this new Unemployment Assistance Board, which when it was introduced was described by hon. Members opposite as the most revolutionary thing ever heard of, is nevertheless based upon one of the oldest traditions of this country, which has been tried throughout the centuries and apparently proved successful. The right hon. Member for Bow and Bromley (Mr. Lansbury) made an interesting assumption, a rather dangerous assumption, I thought. He said, let us suppose that the Labour party while they were in office were the worst Government ever; the question now was whether the present Government had made any better shape of the matter.

I suggest that an unprejudiced examination of the facts must indicate that, whatever may be the shortcomings of the present Government on unemployment and the treatment of the unemployed, they have done something immeasurably greater than any of their predecessors. The number of unemployed is much less than it was when hon. and right hon. Gentlemen opposite were in power. [An HON. MEMBER: "It will not be for long."] Hon. Members are better judges of the future than I am. I am replying to the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Bow and Bromley, and I say that, on the first test of numbers, the number of those employed is greater and the number of those unemployed is very much smaller than they were when hon. and right hon. Gentlemen were in office. The scale of allowances for unemployed persons is higher. That is a considerable achievement, and I do not think anybody will deny that——