§ MR. W. T. WILSON (Lancashire, Westhoughton)To ask the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that the 1555 firms of John Stones, Limited, Ure Mills, Ulverston, and John Stones, of Rosside Works, Ulverston, sliding partition and revolving shutter, etc., manufacturers, who advertise themselves as contractors to the War Department, only pay the joiners in their employ from 6¼d. to 7¼d. per hour, whilst the current rate of wage in the district, vide Board of Trade Returns, is 8d. per hour; whether he will take steps to induce those firms to pay the current rate of wage; failing which, whether he will remove them from the list of firms invited to tender for work ill his Department.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Haldane.) Mr. John Stones is not on the War Office list, but Messrs. John Stones, of Ure Mills, are noted on the list, but do not at present hold any War Office contract. If they should obtain any contract it would contain the usual wages clauses and any allegation of their infringement would be at once investigated.