§ MR. CREMER (Shoreditch, Haggerstone)I beg to ask the First Commissioner of Works when the contract entered into between the Government and Messrs. Brass, for the supply of workmen to Government Offices, expires; whether, on its expiration, the Government will engage the workmen of the Houses of Parliament, the British Museum, the Admiralty, and other Government Offices without the intervention of a contractor; whether there are any advantages in having two classes of men employed in Government offices; whether one class in engaged directly by the Government, under the control of the "Clerk of the Works," and paid in full the amount voted by the House of Commons; whether the other class is supplied by a contractor; and what deductions the contractor is allowed to make in the wages of the workmen which he supplies?
§ A LORD OF THE TREASURY (Sir H. MAXWELL, Wigton)Perhaps the hon. Gentleman will allow me to reply. The contract between the Government and Messrs. Brass for the supply of workmen to Government Offices will expire on March 31 next. A Departmental Committee is now sitting to inquire into the question of the terms upon which new contracts for such services should be made, and, pending the Report of that Committee, it is not thought desirable to discuss the matter further.
§ MR. CREMERCan the hon. Gentleman state when the Departmental Committee are likely to report; and will the House have a chance of expressing an opinion before any new contract is entered into?