§ MR. JOHN WARD (Stoke-on-Trent)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether any provision is being made in the contract for the works at Rosyth to secure trade union rates of wages being paid to the navvies and other workmen who will be employed upon the 625 construction of such works; and whether the contract will also provide machinery for deciding what are the proper rates, seeing that at present, owing to the nature of the case, there can be no already existing standard.
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. EDMUND ROBERTSON, Dundee)In accordance with the Resolution of this House, the contract will contain the usual fair wages clause. The question whether, in the circumstances of this case, any special machinery is needed will be considered before the contract is let; and if the hon. Member has any suggestion to offer, that will be duly considered.