HC Deb 08 November 1906 vol 164 cc734-6
MR. BARNES

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War what is the number of workmen (producers) discharged during the year from the Woolwich Arsenal, and also the number of officials; also the number of workmen (producers) retained, and the number of officials.

MR. HALDANE

The figures asked for are as follows:—

in the annual accounts of the Ordnance Factories. It is not the practice to divulge the prices paid for similar stores to private contractors.

MR. BARNES

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that, while discharges of workmen have been carried out at Woolwich Arsenal and expensive plant of the nation made non-productive, the private contractors engaged in the manufacture of war material and stores have been well employed.

MR. HALDANE

No, Sir, the information at my disposal does not bear out the hon. Member's statement as regards those firms having been well employed on the orders of this Department. As I stated on the 31st ultimo, in reply to a Question of my hon. friend the Member for North Paddington, † I am satisfied that the Government factories have received the fullest possible proportion of the Government orders for war material.

MR. BARNES

said his Question was as to the allocation of the work having regard to the fact that the other places were busy. He wanted to know what the other works were doing.

MR. HALDANE

said he was only dealing with Government work. There was a certain amount of material which the Department must order in part, at any rate, from contractors. They could not break the practice, because it was necessary to encourage other establishments in case of an outbreak of war. Their first care, however, was for their own factories.

MR. HIGHAM (Yorkshire, W.R., Sowerby)

inquired whether it was not the fact, while orders were given to certain private firms in order to ensure a reserve of machinery, that when it came to a time of war there was no reserve of machinery, and that every machine which was capable of turning out Government work was employed.

MR. HALDANE

I cannot say whether that is so.

MR. KEIR HARDIE

asked what proportion of Government orders was given to private factories?

*MR. WALTERS (Sheffield, Brightside)

asked whether the workmen employed by private factories were not as deserving as those employed by the Government. † See (4)Debates, elxiii., 1089.

MR. DALZIEL

asked whether, when an undertaking was given to supply certain factories with work for a certain number of years, the possibility of discharges from the Arsenal was taken into account.

MR. HALDANE

Yes, that is considered.

MR. CROOKS (Woolwich)

asked whether contractors who were now taking particulars of work at the Arsenal paid a bonus for the information which was being supplied from the Arsenal, and whether he was aware that the contractors were in the Arsenal getting the information day after day. If they were foreigners they would be locked up.

MR. HALDANE

said that if such a thing were brought to his notice he would deal with it very sharply.

MR. CROOKS

They are there. Two were there on the 6th inst.