Mr John Cartland: I was sorry to interrupt my hon. Friend in the middle of his speech, but it has been assiduously rumoured—I saw it in the "Times" this morning by no less a person than the Chancellor of the Exchequer—that my right hon. Friend resigned and took the action which he did on account of ill-health. I do not believe there is an element of truth in that. I believe that when he took the decision...
Mr John Cartland: asked the First Commissioner of Works when it is proposed to start work on the new Post Office at Cotteridge, King's Norton; and whether any date has been fixed by which the building is to be completed?
Mr John Cartland: If at the end of 10 years Parliament has to make a decision, are we to take it that it will not be until the end of 10 years that we shall have any indication as to what statistical information has been obtained? There is nothing in the Bill which lays it down when the information which is to be obtained under it will be published, and I am quite certain that it is not the intention not to...
Mr John Cartland: I do not think we have ever had a Debate on the Special Areas when we have not had speeches putting forward the particular claims of Liverpool or Lancashire in a most admirable way. The hon. Member for Everton (Mr. Kirby) has followed that tradition. Indeed, I think the value of these Debates is that although we survey the problem as a whole we also get speeches which give the position from...
Mr John Cartland: Is my right hon. Friend aware that there is serious delay in supplying telephones in the City of Birmingham area itself, and will he look into that?
Mr John Cartland: Compared with what year?
Mr John Cartland: My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade said that he was somewhat surprised by the very wide field which this Debate had covered; lately it seems that most of the speeches have dealt with the problem of agriculture. I should like, as one who represents primarily an urban constituency, to bring the Debate back to the principal subject which was before us, namely, the question...
Mr John Cartland: There is nothing in it except that he was expressing what, I think, is the generally accepted view, that this rise in wages must take place. In our view it can only take place if nothing drastic is done to upset the industrial organisation which provides the money for the wages. I would ask the House to consider two general propositions with regard to the question of the cost of living. The...
Mr John Cartland: I understood that advisory committees were set up to deal with those very points.
Mr John Cartland: asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is now able to state what action the Government propose to take with regard to the report of the Import Duties Advisory Committee on the iron and steel industry?
Mr John Cartland: Can my right hon. Friend say how long it is proposed that this work of over sighting shall be carried on by the Committee?
Mr John Cartland: asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the provision of special leave with pay for civil servants who attend Territorial Army camps, as announced by his predecessor on 15th July, 1936, is confined to civil servants on the permanent establishment?
Mr John Cartland: Is my right hon. and gallant Friend quite satisfied that every Government Department knows about these regulations?
Mr John Cartland: asked the Postmaster-General whether any differentiation is made between men on the permanent and temporary staffs who are members of the Territorial Army in regard to leave with pay for attendance at camp?
Mr John Cartland: asked the Postmaster-General how many men are on the telegraph establishment on a permanent and temporary basis, and of those on a temporary basis how many have been employed on the telegraph establishment for five years or more?
Mr John Cartland: Is it a fact that none of these men who are engaged on a temporary basis can ever be employed on a permanent basis in the telegraph establishment?
Mr John Cartland: Has the right hon. Gentleman received a copy of a census of distribution carried out by certain commercial firms in this country as an indication of what might be done?
Mr John Cartland: asked the First Commissioner of Works why, in view of the fact that the site was purchased in May and that the plans for the building have been approved, it is not proposed to start building operations on the new Crown post office at Cotteridge, King's Norton, until the new year?
Mr John Cartland: May I ask my right hon. Friend what he means by "next spring"?
Mr John Cartland: asked the Secretary of State for War when he proposes to reconsider the decision of his Department not to grant any assistance towards the encouragement of physical training in the Territorial Army?