Schedule

Part of Orders of the Day — Expiring Laws Continuance Bill – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 2 December 1952.

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Photo of Mr Harold Watkinson Mr Harold Watkinson , Woking 12:00, 2 December 1952

I am dealing with the Act of 1934. I do think that it is a fair comment to say that, if we are going to argue that there has been no change in the structure and the outlook of the cotton industry since 1934, we are living in a dream world. What I want to know, what, I think, the cotton industry wants to know, is what is the future and outlook in 1953 and 1954, and not what it was then.

7.0 p.m.

That brings me to my second point. I do not propose to follow the hon. Gentleman and his hon. Friends into a general dissertation on the future of the cotton industry. It is not relevant to this Act. But on behalf of Her Majesty's Government, and as one who considered it a privilege to go to Lancashire at the depth of the slump, I should like to say as plainly as ever I can that I think it was one of the most inspiring industrial experiences of my life to go to Lancashire at that time and to see the courage and statesmanship with which both sides of the industry were facing their difficulties. They deserve the congratulations of Her Majesty's Government for the way in which they pulled themselves out of them, with some help from the Government. They have done the main job for themselves, and all the more credit to them for it.

I would, therefore, only say on the general principle that I am sure that the textile industry as a whole has taught the country a very valuable lesson in how to face the kind of difficulties and temporary unemployment which we may well meet in this more competitive world; and if a good example of industrial teamwork, of the Government, the unions and the employers working together, is wanted, we cannot do better than study what happened in Lancashire six to nine months ago.

The hon. Lady the Member for Blackburn, East (Mrs. Castle) asked about the unemployment figures, and just to get the thing in perspective I am very glad to give them, because again it shows what progress Lancashire has made, and what teamwork will do in fighting this sort of difficulty. The unemployed in the textile industry at 21st April, 1952, were 82,678 in the cotton spinning and doubling and cotton weaving, and at 13th October they were 29,249—a drop of over 53,000.