§ 38. Mr. E. J. Williamsasked the Secretary of State for War the number of persons employed at the Bridgend munitions factory and the sources of recruitment?
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaNo War Department employes are at present at Bridgend.
§ Mr. WilliamsExcept the technicians, can the right hon. Gentleman give an undertaking that all the other labour will be recruited from the locality?
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaAs this building will he under the direction of the Office of Works, perhaps any other question had better be addressed to my right hon. Friend.
§ 60. Mr. E. J. Williamsasked the First Commissioner of Works whether the workmen engaged in preparatory work at Bridgend munitions establishment are paid in accordance with the fair-wages clause for the district and the rates paid for the various grades of labour engaged?
§ The First Commissioner of Works (Sir Philip Sassoon)None of my Department's own workmen are engaged on the work referred to. Part of it is being executed by contractors, and the terms of the contracts include the usual fair-wages clause, which prescribes that the rates of wages paid and the terms of labour observed shall not be less favour- 852 able than those commonly recognised or prevailing among good employers in the trade in the district where the work is being carried out. I have no grounds for thinking that the requirements of the clause are not being observed in these cases. The remainder of the preparatory work now being carried out is being undertaken by the Great Western Railway, who are paying labourers engaged upon it at the rate of 45s. a week, less per cent., which I understand to be the recognised rate in the Bridgend district for work of this nature in the railway industry.
§ Mr. WilliamsAre the Great Western Railway recruiting local labour for this purpose?
§ Sir P. SassoonThere are only about 17 men employed on the job, and certainly local labour will be employed as far as possible.