asked the Minister of Labour whether he is now able to make a statement with regard to the position of men at Willenhall, Staffordshire, who have been refused employment on the ground that they are liable to be called up under the Military Training Act, particulars of which have been furnished to him?

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the cases of two young men submitted by the Employment Exchange to a firm who had notified vacancies for locksmiths. I made certain preliminary inquiries and have written to the firm to invite their observations.

Would the Minister regard with strong suspicion any action of this kind if it were taken by an employer?

I prefer not to answer a hypothetical question. The firm is in the hon. Member's constituency, and perhaps he also will get into touch with it.

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that the Government themselves are actively discouraging the police authorities accepting applicants who are likely to be called up under the Act, and with that example before them how does he expect private employers to do otherwise?

Perhaps the hon. Member will put that question on the Order Paper.

Where a man who has been called up has been refused employment, what action do the Government propose to take?

We take the action laid down in the instructions I have drawn up with regard to evading the application of the Act. First of all it has to be established that the case is proved after both sides have been heard, not on an ex parte statement.

How long does it take to make these inquiries? I have had two cases before the right hon. Gentleman for a fortnight.

It is sometimes much more difficult to establish the truth than it is to make an ex parte statement.

If I put down a question in a week's time will the right hon. Gentleman be able to give me an answer?

I dare say I shall.

asked the Minister of Labour the estimated number of young men in the Borough of Leyton originally liable for Militia service and the number becoming liable each month; and whether he will give particulars respecting the number registered, their classification, the number rejected, the number already serving in His Majesty's forces and in the Territorial Army, the number of applications to hardship courts and the postponements and rejections, and the number of conscientious objectors?

I regret that these statistics are not available for the Borough of Leyton.

Cannot the right hon. Gentleman see his way to get statistics of this kind which are certainly required by many hon. Members, and would serve a very useful purpose?

The hon. Member will understand the great pressure on my Department in this matter. We have an important and difficult task to do, and although at the moment I cannot promise the information, I will look further at the various types for which numbers are asked, and, in the light of our experience, see on which particular type it is best for the House to have the information.

Do I understand that there is some possibility of this information being available sometime in the future?

It cannot be in terms of boroughs, because, as the hon. Member knows, we are doing this through exchange areas.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that many militiamen will be deprived of their holidays through their training period falling during the time they are entitled to them; and will he introduce legislation ensuring that employers do not deprive militiamen of their holidays, or that they are postponed until the Militia service is completed?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for South Nottingham (Mr. Markham) on 5th June.

Has the Minister no power to issue regulations covering this matter?

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that some men who have recently become unemployed, passed A.I for the Militia, and due to be called up for service in a month or two, are finding it difficult to secure work through employment exchanges merely because their employment would be for a comparatively short period; and will he issue instructions to employment exchange managers so as to ensure that these men may not be thus penalised?

Arrangements have been made to meet as far as possible the position of men who are unemployed and therefore wish to be called up early, and the employment exchanges will in the meantime make every effort to put them in touch with employment.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that there are some unemployed men who have not yet received their medical examination, and will he take steps to expedite it, as it is impossible for them to get work until they have finished their training?

If my hon. Friend knows of any cases, I should be glad if he would let me or the local exchange know. Normally, we would call them up according to their age, the upper age group first.

Is it not the case that unemployed youths between 19 and 20 will find it increasingly difficult to obtain employment and that they will be debarred from receiving the advantages of reinstatement as there will be no job for them to be reinstated in after their military service, and will he consider this, as it seems to be increasingly clear that boys reaching the age of 19 are likely to be dismissed by employers?

We shall do everything we can to meet the facts that arise from the calling up as it develops.

Is it not a fact that the right hon. Gentleman has no power to deal with this problem, apart from legislation?

asked the Minister of Labour whether militiamen called up under the Military Training Act will be permitted to bring before either the Military Training (Hardship) Committees or the Military Service (Special Allowances) Advisory Committee, loss and hardships they have suffered through having been dismissed from their employment by reason of the fact that they are liable to be so called up, or through being refused employment for the same reason?

The functions of the Military Training (Hardship) Committees are limited to determining applications for postponement of the liabilty to be called up for military training. Application for special monetary assistance may be made to the Military Service (Special Allowances) Advisory Committee by those who are unable, by reason of their being called up for training, to meet their financial obligations, whereby serious hardship is caused.

If one of the reasons why hardship was caused was dismissal because the man was liable to be called up under the Act, would an allowance be granted in that case?

Again, the hon. Member has put a hypothetical case. No such case has been sent to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War.

Would this be a proper case to put forward for consideration?

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that certain employers in the engineering industry are refusing to grant credit for holidays to young men in their employment for the six months period of Militia service; and what action he intends to take in the matter?

The circumstances in which holiday credits are allowed in the engineering industry are determined by a voluntary agreement made between the employers' federation and the trade unions concerned; and any question of adjusting the agreement to meet new circumstances is a matter for the parties concerned.

Where there is no agreement and where evidence is given of this practice, would the Minister be prepared to consider the position, from the standpoint of striking such firms off the list of Government contractors?

I would like to look into it. I have no power myself about that matter.

Would the Minister be prepared to consider it from a favourable angle on the lines I have indicated?

asked the Minister of Labour whether Great Britain will now ratify the necessary conventions in implementation of the promise made at Geneva that no effort would be spared to bring about international co-operation to remove poverty from the lives of millions, and give direction to the general rise of standards of living?

Great Britain has ratified 31 conventions, this number being exceeded only by Belgium, Spain and Chile. Other conventions are still under consideration and of those which it has not been found possible to ratify, there is in the majority of cases legislative provision and practice which substantially achieves the object of these conventions. The most important exceptions are those relating to the reduction of hours of work which, having regard to their probable effect on wages, cannot be considered as being designed to combat poverty. The statement I made, to which the hon. Member refers, is in keeping with the frequent suggestions of the British Government that more attention should be devoted to the question of the remuneration of workers which is the basic factor affecting poverty. I am glad to say that at the recent conference, on the initiative of the British Government representative, a discussion took place on the subject of minimum wage fixing machinery.

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that the words are taken from a speech which he himself made at Geneva, and does he not think that special attention should be given to them by his Department?

I have no doubt about the words, and I am glad to see that the hon. Member realises the good work we are doing there.

asked the Minister of Labour what views were expressed by His Majesty's Government at Geneva with regard to the functioning of the International Labour Organisation in the event of any future international crisis; and whether a copy of the report of the proceedings is available to Members of this House?

His Majesty's Government have concurred in the principle that the International Labour Organisation should endeavour to function as completely as possible if an international crisis should intervene and even if such a crisis should unfortunately develop into war. The Governing Body's communication on this subject to the International Labour Conference appears in issue No. 5 of the Provisional Record of the Conference, copies of which are available in the Library.

Is it intended that the International Labour Organisation should continue to function at Geneva in the event of a crisis?

Not necessarily, though that, of course, is a matter for the International Labour Organisation itself. What we have done in common with other Governments is to tell the International Labour Organisation that we will back them up in either circumstance.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will submit to the House a report of the proceedings at the International Labour Conference held recently at Geneva, showing what action British representatives took on the various motions, conventions and recommendations?

A full record of the proceedings of the conference is given in the provisional records published each day during the conference by the International Labour Organisation, copies of which are in the Library.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he has considered the proposals of the joint conference of employers' and employés organisations of the distributive trades in Scotland regarding machinery for the regulation of wages and conditions of labour; and whether he will publish these in the same form as he intends to publish the English proposals?

In the case of the proposals for England and Wales both the employers' and employés' organisations agreed to their publication. In the case of Scotland, however, certain of the employers' organisations are not in agreement with the proposals which have been sent to me and the employés' organisations have expressed a desire for a further meeting of the Joint Committee before any proposals are published.

Does my right hon. Friend agree that this conference was convened at his own request, that it did a great deal of work, and that there would be great indignation in Scotland if it were felt that my right hon. Friend was attempting to shelve these proposals?

I agree that there would be indignation. I should be the first to feel it.

asked the Minister of Labour whether in view of the recent evidence respecting the conditions of employment by those engaged in the sale of ice-cream, he will hasten the introduction of legislation to give effect to the findings of the Retail Distributive Trades Conference?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for the Sutton Division of Plymouth (Viscountess Astor) on 29th June.

Does the right hon. Gentleman appreciate the difficulties that this form of trading creates?

Of course, I appreciate the difficulties, and I also appreciate that this is an issue affecting every shopkeeper and every one of the 2,000,000 distributive workers in the country. It is that problem that is before me in the joint report on Scotland and Wales of the Conference to which reference has been made.

Is there any hope of anything being done before the end of the Session?

Decidedly, yes.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that employés of the Navy, Army and Air Force Institute have continual pressure brought to bear upon them to prevent them joining their appropriate trade union; and will he take up the matter with the Canteens Board in order to recognise the trade unions affected and negotiate an agreement that would clarify the position of these workers?

I am informed that employés of the Institute are at liberty to join a trade union if they so desire and that no pressure is being or has been applied to prevent them from doing so.

Is not the Minister aware that, while there is no actual restriction against their joining, there is created an atmosphere in which there is intimidation, and will he not consider the last part of the question, and arrange for a trade union agreement through the Canteens Board?

My information does not agree with the general assertions of the hon. Member.

Can the Government be expected to control the atmosphere?

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has now received the reply of the Mining Association with reference to the operation of the Various Industries (Silicosis) Amendment Scheme, 1939; and whether he will state the nature of the reply?

As previously explained, my right hon. Friend was advised that he had no power to make the scheme retrospective. A collective undertaking of the kind indicated in the reply given to the hon. Member on 22nd June has been found to be impracticable; but I trust that, in view of the representations which have been made, any individual case that may arise will be sympathetically treated.

Are we to gather from that reply that the Mining Association has refused to give an undertaking and have only indicated that if individual applications are made to certain colliery companies, they will raise no objection, but will encourage individual companies to operate the scheme?

My approach was made through the Mining Association to the South Wales Coalowners' Association, because it is in that area that all the hard cases have arisen. The answer which I received was that some concerns were not members of the association, that, therefore, a collective undertaking could not be given and that the matter must be one for each individual colliery concerned.

Are we to understand that the procedure now is that the representatives of the men in all these cases make application to the individual collieries concerned?

I very much hope, in view of the representations which I have made on this subject, that individual cases will be sympathetically treated by the collieries concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he can now give more information in connection with the fire at the offices of Messrs. Schenkers, shipping agents, Queen Victoria Street, on Monday, 26th June, when a young girl lost her life; and whether there were proper iron escape staircases at the back of the building?

I understand that the coroner's investigations under the City of London Fire Inquests Act are not yet complete, and I cannot make any further statement at present.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has yet received any report from the city police authorities with regard to the numerous outbreaks of fire which have recently occurred in warehouses and other buildings in the city; and whether he is satisfied that these fires were accidental and not caused by the so-called Irish Republican Army?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. Inquests in the case of two of the recent series of fires are being held by the City Coroner on the 7th and 13th instant respectively; inquiries in the case of the third fire are still proceeding and the date of the inquest in that case has not yet been fixed. I regret, therefore, that I am not in a position to make any statement at present as to the causes of any of these fires.

Can we be assured that every step is being taken to prevent these lawless bombsters from injuring British property?

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the present conditions in the countryside, he will take steps to facilitate the entry of refugees desiring to work on the land?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Lipson) on 12th June by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture. The question of the temporary employment of refugees already in this country to meet any shortage of agricultural labour has been considered in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Labour. Arrangements have been made whereby refugees admitted to this country pending emigration will be allowed to assist in harvesting operations during the summer and autumn months on payment of not less than the appropriate statutory minimum wage where the Ministry of Labour report a shortage of agricultural workers for seasonal work or where vacancies for such work which have been notified cannot be filled.

Would it not be desirable that old England should follow New England in filling up her countryside again with really desirable immigrants?

Is it not true that there has been great difficulty in getting Jewish immigrants to go on the land, because that race is not particularly given to agriculture?

I do not think that statement is borne out by our own experience. There is a camp at Richborough for Jewish refugees, and I understand that a large number of those young men are anxious to work upon the land and are training themselves to be fitted for that work.

Is it quite certain that that is the case? I have been in touch with this camp, and I am informed that they do not find it easy to get these young men to go on the land.

Is it not a fact that there are many refugees not of Jewish origin, and should they not be considered also?

asked the Home Secretary how many juveniles have appeared before the West Ham Juvenile Court from 1st January, 1935, to the latest available date; how many were acquitted; how many dismissed on payment of costs; how many put on probation; and how many sent to approved schools?

As the answer contains a table of figures I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the Official Report.

asked the Home Secretary the number of aliens registered in this country from Japan, Spain, Italy, Austria and Germany?

As the answer contains a table of figures I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Home Secretary whether, before he gives final approval to the proposed increase in the salary of the chief constable of Sheffield, he will cause investigation to be made into the circumstances in which a private and confidential letter addressed by the hon. Member for Attercliffe (Mr. C. Wilson) to the chief constable asking for investigation into the conduct of a constable was disclosed to the constable concerned, with the result that the hon. Member for Attercliffe has been threatened with a writ for libel; and whether he will circularise chief constables with a view to the prevention of the disclosure of confidential information in such circumstances?

As I have already informed the hon. Member for Attercliffe (Mr. C. Wilson), I fully recognise the importance of the question raised in this case, but as legal proceedings are pending it would be wrong for me to make any comment at this stage on the particular case to which the hon. Member refers. I may say, however, that I am in complete sympathy with the view that a person should be able to make a bona fide complaint against a member of a police force without exposing himself to the risk of legal proceedings. I believe the importance of this is generally recognised, but I propose to issue to chief constables a circular of advice on the subject.

asked the Home Secretary whether, under the provisions of Section 71 of the Factory Act, 1936, he intends to lay regulations before Parliament; and, if so, when?

The making of regulations under Section 71 (2) depends on the results of the public inquiries directed under the Section, some of which have not yet been held or completed. Proposed regulations have to be published in draft under the Rules Publication Act, and copies of the draft would be available to hon. Members in the usual way. If, after considering representations as to the draft, my right hon. Friend makes the regulations, they would then be laid before Parliament as provided for in the Factories Act. Regulations relating to the cotton, woollen, and carpet industries have been issued in draft.

We may take it, therefore, that the final word as to whether these regulations shall become operative rests with Parliament?

That is so. Under Section 129 of the Factory Act, the regulations have to be laid before Parliament.

asked the Home Secretary (1) whether it has been brought to his notice that a 21-year-old Sunderland woman, mother of three children, whose husband has been unemployed for nine years, has been sent to prison with her baby three weeks old for stealing 13s. 11d. from a gas-meter; and whether, as this woman has neither physically nor mentally recovered from her confinement, he will order her release;

(2) whether his attention has been drawn to the comments of the magistrate who sentenced Florence McDonald, together with her three-weeks-old baby, to prison; and, as this is the second case of its kind within a few months in this court, whether he will now issue a circular to all magistrates informing them that no woman is fit to plead her case in a law court within two or three weeks of child-birth?

As the case in question has aroused considerable interest, I hope the House will excuse the length of my reply.

I am informed that Mrs. McDonald, who is 24 years old and not 21 as stated in the question, pleaded guilty to the offence of stealing from a gas-meter. She had previously been convicted on six occasions and on 21st January, 1937, had been placed on probation for two years for stealing from a gas-meter. While on probation, and when there was no question of her suffering from the effects of child-birth, she committed another offence of stealing from a gas-meter and was sentenced in respect of that offence to three months' imprisonment. Before deciding how to deal with her in respect of the present offence the Justices made full inquiries as to her home conditions and her general character. They were informed that the home conditions were deplorable and that although Mrs. McDonald had received assistance and advice there had been no improvement in her home. Probation had been tried but that had failed to deter the defendant from repeating her offences. In these circumstances the Justices came to the conclusion that it was in the defendant's own interests that she should receive a sentence of imprisonment.

There are obvious objections to sentencing to imprisonment women with young babies, but there are, as the House will appreciate, circumstances which may make such a course inevitable notwithstanding the objections. In the present case I regret that after the most careful and sympathetic consideration of all the circumstances I can find no grounds which would justify me in advising any interference. Mrs. McDonald and her baby are located in the Women's Hospital at Durham Prison and the Medical Officer reports that there is nothing to indicate that Mrs. McDonald is suffering from any ill effects from her confinement.

As regards the question of issuing a circular to the courts about defendants who may be suffering from the effects of childbirth, I have no doubt that if it were represented to a court, whether by a prison doctor in the case of persons remanded in custody or by the defendant's own medical adviser in the case of persons released on bail, that the defendant was temporarily unfit from any cause, the court would adjourn the case until the defendant had recovered. In cases of women recovering from childbirth an arbitrary standard of two or three weeks would seem unsuitable and would imply that after a period of three weeks such women are fit in all cases to plead. I am, however, in sympathy with the point of view of the hon. Member and I am considering the question whether any advice could usefully be given to the courts as to the method of dealing with women with young babies who are charged with offences.

Is it not a fact that there is not one medical authority who, perhaps, has advised the right hon. Gentleman who has stated that women are physically and mentally normal two or three weeks after childbirth? Therefore, would he not regard it as a cardinal principle in administering justice that no woman within two or three weeks of her confinement should be asked to go near a. court of law? May I ask, further, whether the right hon. Gentleman will expedite this circular?

I certainly contemplate no delay in issuing the circular. I have given very careful and sympathetic consideration to this case, and I think, on the whole, I had better not add anything to the very full answer I have given.

Will the right hon. Gentleman arrange to have this woman and baby sent to a home instead of to prison?

I have had six babies—[Interruption]

You never had to steal from a gas meter to get something to eat?

Shut up !

You are a gang of blackguards.

If the hon. Member for West Fife (Mr. Gallacher) cannot behave himself, I shall have to deal with him, severely.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will state the number of Members of the Government for whom arrangements will have to be made for carrying on their duties in case of war owing to the fact that they hold commissions in the Navy, Army, or Air Force?

No, Sir.

Will the right hon. Gentleman be good enough to indicate what Ministers, in addition to the Civil Lord of the Admiralty and the Under-Secretary for India, come within the category of Ministers for whom special arrangements would have to be made?

I cannot answer that.

Can the right hon. Gentleman answer it if I put a question down?

I have given consideration to it, and I do not see the necessity for it.

asked the Prime Minister when it is proposed to take the remaining stages of the Criminal Justice Bill?

I regret that I cannot at the moment add to the answer which I gave to my hon. Friend on 22nd June last.

If this Bill is not to be taken before October, could my right hon. Friend suggest to any hon. Members who may be in need of holiday literature that they should refresh their memories by rereading the report on flogging?

asked the Prime Minister whether he has now considered the memorandum submitted to him by the hon. and learned Member for North Hammersmith (Mr. Pritt), and what action is it proposed to take?

I hope to be in a position to make a statement shortly.