Lieut-Colonel Walter Guinness: The hon. Member is referring to certain questions answered in the House of Commons about the expenditure under the old system. That does not arise on this. Vote, and, if I may mention it, it is not strictly in order on this Vote. Therefore, many of the statements which he has quoted, and which are, no doubt, very apt to his argument, really do not arise on this Vote, because we are not...
Lieut-Colonel Walter Guinness: Not at all; he brought in the Estimates, and he was responsible for the Estimates which were in force when we came into office; and, under those Estimates, in the case of voluntary schemes, only 33 per cent. was exacted from the landowner. I do not think it is a matter of importance, and I do not, want to take it up as between one side and the other, but, when we are attacked for looking...
Lieut-Colonel Walter Guinness: The right hon. Gentleman knows how far it is in the discretion of any Department to make exceptions. Naturally—
Lieut-Colonel Walter Guinness: The normal contribution will be 33 per cent., but, where exceptional circumstances are shown to exist, we may be able to sanction amounts up to 50 per cent., which will be the maximum. I hope the voluntary schemes will go on, although they will in future get no part of this assistance. The right hon. Gentleman asked about a survey. Circulars were sent out to all the drainage authorities, and...
Lieut-Colonel Walter Guinness: Yes. Whether the circulars went to the statutory drainage authorities as well, or not, I do not know, but they certainly went out to all the county councils, so that the whole of the ground has been covered. The right hon. Gentleman raised the question of wages in connection with the new sugar beet industry, but I understand that I should be out of Order if I made any but a passing reference...
Lieut-Colonel Walter Guinness: Then I will say no more about it, but I can assure the right hon. Gentleman that there is no reason to doubt that the Agricultural Wages Committees are taking all these matters into consideration. The right hon. Gentleman raised the point of agricultural labour not being accepted at the factories. We really cannot control that it is a matter between the factories and the farmers. In no case...
Lieut-Colonel Walter Guinness: The hon. Member is really misinformed. The Employment Exchanges in no case dictate to employers.
Lieut-Colonel Walter Guinness: Some employers may say they will only take union members, and in that case the Employment Exchanges do their best to meet their requirements. I understand that in some cases the factories have made arrangements with the farmers, before the farmers signed their contracts, that they would not make it impossible for the farmers to grow and harvest their crops by taking away their labour. This...
Lieut-Colonel Walter Guinness: I very much doubt whether it does improve the agricultural labourer's position to casualise his labour. If the agricultural labourer is working on the farm—
Lieut-Colonel Walter Guinness: At low wages, I admit—he has the expectation of continuous wages. If he goes to the factory, he becomes a casual worker for about 12 weeks in the year, and does not oven qualify by the necessary number of contributions for the receipt of unemployment benefit. Therefore, I demur to the view that it would be to the advantage of the agricultural labourer to encourage him to leave his permanent...
Lieut-Colonel Walter Guinness: I am sorry I have no information on that point. We do not come into it at all, any more than we do as between any other employer and the men whom he chooses to take on. Certain conditions are laid down in the Act of Parliament, which, admittedly, was drafted by our predecessors.
Lieut-Colonel Walter Guinness: As I have said, I understand that arrangements have been made in certain cases between the factories and the farmers, but the point is that under the Act of Parliament we have no power to interfere even if we thought it advisable to do so. The right hon. Gentleman also raised the question of foot-and-mouth disease, and asked what we were doing with regard to railway trucks. He will remember...
Lieut-Colonel Walter Guinness: The figures for Denmark are pretty constant, though they fluctuate from month to month. In June they were 2,600, and they rose by October to 5,100. Of course, there is seasonal variation, which is probably due to the effect of sunshine in destroying the virus, and there is also evidence that there are two strains of infection, and animals that are immune to one strain are not necessarily...
Lieut-Colonel Walter Guinness: They have no more power to interfere between the employer and the man he wishes to take on than I have or the hon. Member has.
Lieut-Colonel Walter Guinness: The Employment Exchange really has no more control over whom the factory will take on than it has over the trade union which will admit no more bricklayers.
Lieut-Colonel Walter Guinness: I know it is not your point, but it is my answer, and it shows my inability to do anything.
Lieut-Colonel Walter Guinness: The hon. Member who has just sat down asked how much money we are going to spend on drainage. The programme laid down is to be spread over five years, and immediately follows the Token Vote by which I trust we shall be authorised to work our scheme in conjunction with the local authorities and settle the total amount to be spent during the next 12 months. Scotland, as always is the case in...
Lieut-Colonel Walter Guinness: It is no good pouring out more money thin the scientific experts think can be usefully spent. The Leishman Committee have been provided with all the funds they have asked for, and in no way deprived of the necessary resources. The hon. Member for the Broxtowe Division (Mr. Spencer) takes a great interest in this matter, I know, and has asked various questions as to the control of the disease...
Lieut-Colonel Walter Guinness: If the straw has been used as bedding in a truck it has to be disinfected or destroyed.
Lieut-Colonel Walter Guinness: If the hon. Member can tell me of any cases where there has been slackness in this respect. I shall be very glad to look into them; but there is no doubt that is the rule in force. He asked about Irish cattle. There have been repeated assertions that infection was brought in from Ireland. In all cases we have done our best to trace back the infection to its source, and in no instance has any...