§ MR. LOUGH (Islington, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether dismissals of workmen are still taking place at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich; and, if so, whether there is a corresponding number of dismissals among the higher grade of officials, such as foremen viewers, examiners, and clerical staff; whether it is possible, in cases of slackness, to transfer the men to other departments, or to put all grades of workmen on short time; whether it is true that contracts have been given to English and French firms for the manufacture of goods that could have been made at the Royal Arsenal; and whether he will undertake that in future no such contracts be made while there is not sufficient work for the men at the Arsenal?
§ MR. WOODALLReductions, though not to any large extent, are still taking place at Woolwich Arsenal as a result of 1671 reduced demands. The higher grades will be reduced as the lessened numbers in the lower grades appear to justify reduction. Apart from the difficulty of transferring workmen to a factory with the work of which they are not familiar, the reductions at present taking place are in all the factories, so that there is little room for transfers. Government factories are maintained for the purpose of providing a check on the quality and cost of the work of the private trade, but by no means with the intention of abolishing the latter, which may be of the first importance in times of emergency. Under this system it would be impolitic when a reduction has to take place to throw the whole of it on the private trade. I may add that no order for any article producible at the Arsenal has at all recently been placed with a foreign firm.
§ MR. LOUGHThe hon. Gentleman has not answered the question as to avoiding dismissals by putting all men on short time.
§ MR. WOODALLWe are considering the possibility of adopting a plan of working short time. But up to the present the number of dismissals has been much less than is commonly supposed.