Mr Thomas Cape: I beg to second the Motion. Question put, and agreed to.
Mr Thomas Cape: The fact is that the whole of the speech of the hon. and gallant Gentleman has been concerned with his own water supply.
Mr Thomas Cape: I beg to second the Motion. I do so in all sincerity, with the honest belief that what I shall state in my speech will come from the depth of my heart regarding the situation of the mining community. I endorse every argument that has been put forward by my hon. Friend who moved the Second Reading. I am not going to weary the House by traversing the ground that my hon. Friend has covered, but...
Mr Thomas Cape: asked the Prime Minister whether in order to give effect to his ex pressed desire for peace in the world, he is prepared to take steps on behalf of this country to call a world conference to discuss the matter?
Mr Thomas Cape: asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what allowances, if any, are granted to naval ratings when their ship is in a home port, as travelling expenses, to and from their homes?
Mr Thomas Cape: asked the Minister of Labour whether he has any statement to make about the future of Maryport Harbour?
Mr Thomas Cape: I do not apologise to the House for joining in this Debate. I suppose that I have had the most unique experience of any man in regard to explosions. It has been my unfortunate lot to have to go into pits on seven occasions after explosions, and I have had to do a good deal of rescue work and in searching for bodies that have probably been left in a pit for weeks. Even after all those...
Mr Thomas Cape: asked the Minister of Labour (1) whether the Government or the Commissioners for Special Areas have come to any decision in regard to financial help for the reconditioning of the Maryport harbour and dock; (2) whether he is aware that the harbour commissioners at Maryport have given their employés notice to terminate their engagements; and whether the Government intend to take any action to...
Mr Thomas Cape: asked the Minister of Labour what progress has been made towards the commencement of the work of reconditioning the Maryport dock and harbour?
Mr Thomas Cape: The hon. Member for Ince (Mr. G. Macdonald) has accepted the suggestion as to how our Amendments should be dealt with, and I agree with him. I think it was a very happy idea, as it enables us to get a Debate on the principal Amendments to the Clause. We are anxious that in page 21, line 11, the word "shall" be inserted for "may." We want the Commission to have power for the purposes mentioned...
Mr Thomas Cape: In supporting the Amendment, I wish particularly to refer to what the noble Lord said in regard to Cumberland. I think he was in some error as to his facts. The coalfield to which he refers is the Cumberland coalfield and it does not extend inland. It extends under the sea and the landowner to whom he refers and his descendants worked those mines themselves until about 50 years ago. Since...
Mr Thomas Cape: It seems to me that everybody in the Committee, including myself, is getting somewhat mixed. The Noble Lord has confused hematite ore with coal, and I want to extricate the Committee from this confused position if I can by coming back to the Amendment. It is a practical, fair and reasonable Amendment. Under the Bill the vesting date does not take place for five years, and during those five...
Mr Thomas Cape: I beg to move, in page 2, line 8, to leave out from the beginning to "in," in line 14, and to insert: The functions of the Commission shall include the business of coal-mining, any operations for coal-mining purposes and the treatment of coal, and controlling and managing the premises acquired by them under this Part of this Act, and such functions shall be carried out. I hope the President...
Mr Thomas Cape: The hon. Member for Hitchin (Sir A. Wilson) has made a very interesting speech, which has given us a good deal to think about in the future, but he rather spoilt it when he said he was not prepared to support the Second Reading of the Bill. I gather that he was more in sympathy with the Workmen's Compensation Bill proposed from these benches last year, and I want to assure him that we still...
Mr Thomas Cape: There are many points that I should like embodied in the Bill, but, in view of the situation to-day, our proposals are largely confined, as I have already said, to the removal of some of the anomalies which exist, and we want to get the Measure through as expeditiously as possible. If all the Bills that were brought before this House for Second Reading were perfect, there would never be any...
Mr Thomas Cape: I would first say a word about the speech of the Secretary for Mines, in which I was very much interested. I assure him that although he had not a very large audience in this Committee he has a very much bigger audience outside, because a large number of miners, in my constituency at any rate, look forward to reading the reports of speeches made in this House by him. Those speeches are...
Mr Thomas Cape: When the Special Areas Bill of 1934 was passing through the House, I and others on these benches pointed out to the then Minister of Labour how insufficiently that Measure would meet the needs of the Special Areas. The Bill eventually became an Act, and, according to Clause 1 of the present Bill, the Act of 1934 is to be retained and quoted as the original Act. That appears to me to mean that...
Mr Thomas Cape: (by Private Notice) asked the Minister of Labour whether he can give any information about the prospects of reopening the Whitehaven Collieries?
Mr Thomas Cape: I am rather sorry that the hon. Member for Hitchin (Sir A. Wilson) is not in his place, because he put one or two very pertinent points. Unfortunately I have had to take part in a good many inquiries, not as gigantic as the Gresford inquiry, but of a similar character, and I can never remember any inquiry at which directors were put in the witness box to answer questions. Whether it is...
Mr Thomas Cape: asked the Secretary for Mines whether he has given consideration to the resolution passed at the national conference of the Mineworkers Federation of Great Britain on 20th January with reference to the dispute at Harworth Colliery, Nottinghamshire; and whether he is taking any steps to deal with the matter?
