§ MR. WARDLE (Stockport)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that a number of Royal Engineers are being employed on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway as firemen for the purpose of training, at the minimum rate of pay on all classes of work performed by them, and that ordinary firemen are being displaced and promotion checked, and a burden placed on those drivers who have the responsibility of training them; and whether he will arrange with railway companies that such be placed on engines in addition to the ordinary firemen and not in place of them.
§ MR. HALDANEEleven men have been sent for a short course of training as firemen on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, and are being paid by the company at the rate of 3s. 6d. a. day, that being the rate which it was understood would be paid to other stokers employed in the same work. I am not aware that ordinary firemen are thereby being displaced, or that their promotion is being checked, nor that any additional burden is placed upon the drivers in the matter of training the military fireman which is not usual and common to the training of all firemen on all railways. The arrangements as to the number of men on engines rest entirely with the company, and the 1585 War Department is not in a position to interfere in the matter.