§ Mr. J. WARDasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what were the reasons which induced his Department to insert in a contract with Sir John Jackson, Limited, signed on 3rd October, 1910, the old Fair Wages Clause of 1891 and for ignoring the Fair Wages Resolution of the House of Commons passed on 10th March, 1909; and whether this course was adopted on the suggestion of the contractors?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe insertion of the new Fair Wages Clause in Admiralty contracts could not be made without careful consideration of the form for which legal advice had to be obtained. As the general settlement of the form of Admiralty contracts was undergoing thorough revision at the time, involving a prolonged examination of practice and precedents, considerable delay was unavoidable before the Admiralty was in a position to adopt a final form. The contractors for the contract signed on the 3rd of October, 1910, made no suggestion as to, and had nothing to do with, the inclusion of the old form.
§ Mr. J. WARDCan the right hon. Gentleman account for the fact that he gave a pledge on the 13th July that in all Admiralty Contracts the new clause should be inserted, and yet three months later he passed in the old one?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe only reason I can give is that the form of contract was not settled at the time I believed it would have been settled, but I can assure my hon. Friend that I have given definite orders now that in all contracts the new clause shall be introduced.
§ Mr. KELLAWAYasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he is aware that contractors for the Admiralty are in some cases paying wages of only eighteen shillings a week to married men with families; and whether he will take steps to secure a living wage for all men engaged on Government work, by the inclusion in the Fair Wages clause of a provision for the payment of a minimum wage for unskilled labour?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. The Admiralty have adopted, in accordance with the resolution passed by this House on the 10th March, 1909, a Fair Wages Clause for contracts by which the contractor is required to pay rates of wages not less favourable than those commonly recognised by employers and Trade Societies (or, in the absence of such recognised wages, those which in practice prevail amongst good employers) in the trade in the district where the work is carried out. If my hon. Friend will be good enough to inform me of any case where he has reason to believe that this provision is not being complied with, I shall be glad to investigate the matter.