§ MR. CUNINGHAME GRAHAMI beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether the practice of stopping men for waste work, which exists at the Rifle Works, Old Ford, is a breach of the Truck Act; and whether the discontinuance of this practice at the Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield, has had the result that less waste is made now than previously?
§ MR. BRODRICKWe have no information as to the practice at the Old Ford Rifle Works in regard to stoppages for waste work. Whether such stoppages constitute a breach of the Truck Act is a legal question, on which I would prefer not to express an opinion. The practice was discontinued at Enfield some four years ago. The amount of waste is dependent on so 1102 many circumstances that it is scarcely possible to determine the result of any particular measure.
§ MR. CUNINGHAME GRAHAMMay I ask, is not the waste attributable to defective machinery?
§ MR. BRODRICKNo, I do not think so. As a matter of fact, it is almost impossible to arrive at an exact result.