asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that the activities of many manufacturers in preparing for export trade are restricted by the difficulty in obtaining craftsmen for their particular industries; and whether he will allow firms to advertise for the men whom they require.

I am aware that many employers are experiencing difficulty in preparing for export trade. So far as skilled and experienced men can be made available without interference with the production for the Japanese war, arrangements made provide for them to be placed on important civilian work, including work for export. It is of course open to employers to advertise for workers who are outside the scope of the Control of Engagement Order, 1945, but unrestricted advertising by competing employers for workers, who are in short supply, would not be in the public interest nor would it resolve the difficulties of the export trades.

Is the Minister aware that the immediate repeal of the Essential Work Order would do more than anything else to restore our domestic and foreign trade, and will he undertake to do that?

I am afraid that things are not quite so simple as the hon. Gentleman thinks.

Is the Minister aware that, if this occurs, there will be a lot of miners wanting to work somewhere else and then the hon. Gentleman will be crying out about it?

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that the railways are not in a position to handle a greatly increased holiday traffic this year owing to the large number of locomotives awaiting repair and for which adequate labour is not available; and whether he will now regard the repair of locomotives and rolling stock as a No. 1 labour priority so as to enable the railways to carry the large numbers of workers to seaside or country holidays this summer.

The supply of labour for the repair of locomotives and rolling stock has for long received a very high preference in the allocation of labour. The fact that it has not kept pace with the demands of the railway companies has been solely due to competing demands for workpeople of the same type in posts of equal or greater urgency.

Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that there are hundreds upon hundreds of disabled locomotives lying in the engine sheds, with nobody to repair them, and that there will be millions of people wanting to go on holiday this year and no trains to take them? Can he not see that efficient engineers are provided to repair these engines and put them on the rails right away?

I am quite aware of the urgency of the matter, and this is designated work and has been given first preference. Subject to the shortage of the skilled people necessary, we shall do our best to provide them.

Can the right hon. Gentleman not switch over skilled engineers from other work to do the job?

Engineers are the one class of people who are not usually redundant.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the new European situation, he will now take further steps to ensure that juveniles do not work excessive hours of labour and that supervision and inspection in respect of this matter are extended.

The present situation in Europe and elsewhere does not admit of an immediate return to peace-time hours in all factories, but the Factory Inspectorate are actively reviewing the position to see that abnormal hours are not continued unnecessarily.

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that, for some years past now, evidence has been accumulating in certain quarters interested in juvenile labour that many of these juveniles were working excessive hours to the detriment of their health; and cannot he either have the number of inspectors increased, or special inquiries made?

The fact is that factory inspectors are investigating the position, and I should naturally wish to keep the House informed.

Does the Minister know that we have had a very big increase in Scotland, and that this matter is very urgent, and will he see that something is done to look after their welfare?

asked the Minister of Labour whether he has prepared, or is preparing, a scheme for the rehabilitation of miners who are certified to be partially disabled by silicosis or pneumoconiosis; whether he is aware of the deep concern caused by this problem to the miners and their families; and whether he will make an early announcement of proposals for providing suitable employment for the large and increasing number of men who are certified unfit for further employment at the collieries, and for whom no alternative employment is available at present.

Miners partially disabled by silicosis or pneumoconiosis are eligible for the training and other facilities now provided by my Department to assist the resettlement of disabled persons and a number have secured satisfactory employment in this way. These cases will also be eligible for the further facilities to be provided under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act which are in active preparation.

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that this problem has acquired terrifying proportions, especially in South Wales, and that very little has been done for these men up to now?

My answer indicates that we do realise the position.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons are now employed in the building industry; what steps are being taken to release more of such persons from the Services and other industries; and what action should be taken by employers and individuals desiring engagement in connection with housing in the national interest.

It is estimated that at the end of May there were 537,000 men aged 16 to 64 employed in the building and civil engineering industries of whom about 387,000 were in the building industry. With regard to the release of building workers from the Services, I would refer the hon. Member to the statements made in the Debate on Resettlement on16th May. I am proposing shortly to register former workers in the building and civil engineering industries who are now employed elsewhere as civilians with a view to their return to those industries. Individual workers desiring engagement in connection with housing and employers desiring to engage them should apply to their employment exchange.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that unless workers are made available for building houses great indignation will be caused among those who are waiting for these houses, particularly among Servicemen?

It is obvious that the provision of additional labour is required and this is one of the reasons why registration is being undertaken, and that, I hope will provide results.

Will my right hon. Friend give careful consideration to the cases of small master builders who were taken away from rural areas, where there is nothing to do in either building or repairs?

I constantly have those cases brought home to me.

Is the Minister aware that £7,000 worth of building work is to be done on rebuilding the Harringay Sports Arena, while in that neighbourhood there are hundreds of houses waiting to be repaired?

I have not those figures by me, but in view of the statement made by the hon. Member, I will certainly look into them.

And put a stop to it.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that many of us are receiving correspondence from men engaged on non-combatant duties in the Services who claim that they are in the building industry; and cannot they now be released?

I should be glad to receive any information from my hon. Friend or anybody else, and I trust that our re- searches which are described in the answer to the Question will, as I said, yield some proper result.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the men in the Army who were previously building trade operatives are expected themselves to make an application for release under the B Scheme?

Under the B Scheme they do not make application themselves.

Will the right hon. Gentleman assure us that release under category B will be fairly and equitably distributed all over the country as there appear to be rumours in the B.L.A. that the releases are conditional on the application of certain big firms in the London area?

The scheme is going to be administered as described on 16th May, and rumours that we are going to yield to certain pressures and interests are quite untrue

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that skilled engineers in factories which are soon to be redundant are being restrained by Man-power Board officials from taking up work in their own trade although vacancies are available in other factories; and if he will give a direction to prevent this practice.

The policy of my Department is to permit the return of workers to their previous employment wherever possible. But, particularly in the case of skilled workers, regard must be had to the comparative importance in the national interest of the work to which they propose to return and that on which they might otherwise be engaged. If my hon. and gallant Friend has any particular case in mind I should be glad to inquire into it if he will give me particulars.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that factories engaged on very essential work and clamouring for men are prevented from getting men by the idiotic instructions issued by his predecessor and his Department? Is not the Department preventing men from taking vacancies in these factories and thus remedying the great difficulty which exists?

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that, owing to shortage of staffs, laundries in the coastal areas of West Sussex are having to refuse their services to returning residents, hotels and customers catering for holiday crowds; and if he will take steps urgently to relieve this situation.

I am aware of the existing shortage of staff at laundries in Sussex and in other parts of the country. My Department has been for some time, and still is, taking such steps as are practicable to relieve the situation but, as my hon. and gallant Friend will be aware, there is still a serious over-all man-power shortage. A special publicity campaign is about to be launched with a view to securing the return of former employees to a number of important occupations, including those in laundries, in which there is a persistent labour shortage, and I hope that this will assist to remove the difficulties.

Can my right hon. Friend say whether it has been possible to increase the labour force available to laundries in these areas since the removal of the ban and the consequent return of population?

We have not been able to do all we would desire in the neighbourhood to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers, but I will look at the figures and statistics of laundries in the area, and we will do everything possible to help.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the position has already reached a stage in which hotels in London are refusing to accept guests unless they bring their own linen?

Can we be assured that laundries will be available to wash dirty linen during the coming Election?