§ Mr. GOLDMANasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether all the granite likely to be needed for Rosyth has been contracted for; and, if not, whether he can state when tenders will be invited in respect of any additional dock that may be projected?
§ Mr. McKENNAThis is entirely a question for the contractors for the works, and the Admiralty have no information on the subject.
§ Mr. GOLDMANMay I ask whether, in the event of the Admiralty deciding on a further dock for Rosyth, and for which, I understand, they have Parliamentary powers, they will instruct the contractor to have British granite?
§ Mr. McKENNAI can give no undertaking with regard to it.
§ Mr. GOLDMANasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he has any information as to the wages paid for quarrying and dressing granite in Norway from whence the granite required for Rosyth is being supplied: and, if so, how those wages compare with the wages paid for the same class of work in the United Kingdom?
§ Mr. McKENNAI would refer the hon. Member to the information given on this subject on Page 9 of the Diplomatic and Consular Report on the Trade and Commerce of Norway for 1908, presented to Parliament in June last (Command Paper 4446–102), and to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the present Home Secretary in this House on 18th March last.
§ Mr. GOLDMANasked whether, under the system of alternative tenders for the granite contract at Rosyth, the conditions of the fair wage clause applied to tenders 738 for British contract; whether the same conditions applied to rates of wages and conditions of labour in the contract as placed in Norway; and, if so, what steps are taken to ensure that these conditions will be fulfilled?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, and to the second part of the question in the negative.