Production.

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at on 24 March 1942.

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Photo of Sir Geoffrey Mander Sir Geoffrey Mander , Wolverhampton East

I should like to make a short contribution to this Debate on Production while the opportunity presents, itself, and also to congratulate my right hon. Friend on his admirable exposition of the Government proposals, and to say that in my judgment they represent a very substantial advance on anything we have had in the past. No doubt they are not the last word. My right hon. Friend has not had much time to study the problem, but I hope he will find it possible in the future to go a good deal further in some directions. It has been asked why it is that these things were not done a year or two years ago when they were advocated in this House. It is not, however, the fault of my right hon. Friend, who has been doing admirable work elsewhere. Now that we have reached this new stage, which is a very important one, let us advance as rapidly as possible. To my mind, one of the main difficulties we have had in Production in factories has not been so much troubles with management and labour—no doubt there has been a certain amount of that—but lack of central planning and the lack of direction from on high by someone whose business it should have been to see what was happening in the different factories, co-relating them to ensure there were no gaps in Production, which we know have occurred and which have resulted in quite unnecessary idleness.

As I have mentioned idle time, I think it might be useful if I gave to the House some details which I gained from a visit I made the other day to an important aircraft factory. I was discussing this question of idle time, and they told me about their system. They have set up a board, and every time a man has ceased working on a particular job and has nothing to do, his name is put on it. Every quarter of an hour a messenger goes round and collects the names of the persons on the board, and takes them to the management. Immediate steps are taken then to provide work for those particular workers. I know that this system could not apply to factories where there are large numbers of people without work, but in other cases, where people may be idle through lack of managerial control, a system of this kind might be of great advantage.

I would call attention to another useful pioneer scheme, introduced in a certain important munition factory in the Midlands. The firm thought that a good deal might be done by way of part-time labour, and during the Christmas holidays they managed to secure the services of a number of schoolboys together with their masters. The schoolboys worked regular shifts and turned out excellent work. The whole thing was a very great success, with the result that the output of the factory was increased. The scheme was explained to the regular workers, the boys worked at trade union rates of pay, and no trouble of any kind occurred. When the Christmas holidays came to an end, the question arose how this work was to be carried on. An endeavour was made to get into touch with women, many of whom in the ordinary way do not come near the employment exchanges. When it was put to them they offered their services—about 1,000—and the work had been continued with great success ever since. Regular shifts are worked, and there is no slackness or trouble of any kind. One of the leading figures was a local county court judge, who set a fine example, and many professional men also played their part. I hope that schemes of that kind will be encouraged and developed and an entirely new source of labour provided in this way.

I had another little case the other day which goes even further. A manufacturer living 10 miles out in the country wondered whether something could not be done by setting up a satellite factory in his. billiard room; and he consulted the local inhabitants, who at once responded, and there it is, making an entirely fresh addition to the national output. I was glad that the Minister made reference to the Production committees that are going to be set up. I hope he will press forward with this with the utmost vigour. I have had many talks with the workers' representatives, and with those on the other side, about the great importance that they place upon being able to put forward their ideas, and the good results already obtained. But let the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that this will not be a popular thing with some employers. There is a certain number who will strongly resist any suggestion that the workers should be associated with industry, and he will have to use all the powers that the Government possess to see that these rights for the workers are established by law. I hope he will not hesitate in taking any step that may be necessary.

I should like to direct his attention to the rate of remuneration given to superintendents in charge of Royal Ordance and other Government factories. You cannot expect to get first-rate men in charge of 10,000, 20,000 or 30,000 people unless you pay them the sort of sum that they would get if it was a private business. There has been some change, and the Treasury has relaxed the rule to some extent, but it is nothing like fair to the people placed in charge of these factories to have one standard in private practice and a very much lower one under the Government. That is a matter that wants to be put right. I would ask the right hon. Gentleman, following on his statement, to march boldly forward in the direction indicated and make up for lost time.