§ MR. J. DEVLIN (Belfast, W.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the refusal of the Belfast Corporation Tramways Committee to consider the complaint of a deputation from the Iron founders Society, protesting against a certain firm receiving a certain contract from the committee without complying with the Standing Orders as to a fair wages clause, and also protesting against the sub-letting of contracts and against contractors doing work by apprentice labour; and whether he will take steps to insist that the provisions of the Belfast Tramways Act are complied with in respect of these matters.
§ (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The minutes of the Tramways Committee of the Belfast Corporation for 10th June show that a deputation from the Iron-founders Society attended and alleged that certain contractors were not complying with the conditions of the contract, seeing that they had sub-let the casting of brake-blocks to a firm which employed apprentices instead of journeymen. The committee were informed by the general manager that, so far as he was aware, there had been no sub-letting, but that inquiries would be made and if there was anything wrong it would be set rght. The Local Government Board have no further information in the matter. They do not know what provisions of the Belfast Tramways Act are alluded to in the concluding part of the Question.