§ CAPTAIN NORTON (Newington, W.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty if he can state whether the wages paid for unskilled labour at the Deptford Victualling Yard are lower than the wages paid in any other Government Department employing unskilled labour within the area of the county of London?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTYI believe the facts are as stated in the Question, but the conditions are not in all cases the same, and the Admiralty have further to bear in mind the terms of employment of their labourers all over the country, and the discontent which might be caused by the further preferential treatment of their metropolitan labourers, who already have the advantage of 1s. a week over all the rest.
§ MR. LOUGH (Islington, W.)Does not the right honourable Gentleman think some higher allowance should be made to the London men?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTYIt is an open question whether rents are higher in London than in some parts of the provinces, like Plymouth and Devonport. This matter was investigated by a committee some time ago—in the time of my predecessor—and the conclusion arrived at was that the grant of 1s. a week to London labourers over that made to provincial men would cover the difference in rents.
§ CAPTAIN NORTONIs the right honourable Gentleman aware of the fact 411 that, with the exception of the two places he has mentioned, rents in Deptford are as high as in any district?
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order!