§ 99. Mr. C. DUNCANasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can ascertain if any of the linen-weaving firms involved in the Lurgan dispute, Ireland, hold any contracts under any of the various Government Departments, with a view to ascertaining whether such firms have been observing the Fair-Wages Clause in their contracts?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. J. M. Robertson)The Board of Trade have no contracts for linen. I am unable to answer for other Departments, and I would suggest that my hon. Friend should make inquiries of the War Office, Admiralty, and possibly the Prison Commissions of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
§ 100. Mr. C. DUNCANasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the existence of a trade dispute for the past four weeks in the linen-weaving trade in Lurgan, Ireland, in which over 1,500 workpeople are concerned, and that the wages earned by men average between 10s. and 12s. a week; whether his Department has opened up communications with the patries involved in the dispute; whether there is any hope of the good offices of the Board being used to effect a settlement; and whether he will ascertain what were the average weekly wages paid to men by the firms involved in this dispute during the four weeks preceding the dispute?
§ Mr. ROBERTSONI am aware of the dispute referred to by my hon. Friend, which is one that has been receiving the attention of the Chief Industrial Commissioners' Department. I understand that negotiations with a view to a settlement of the dispute are in progress between the parties at the present moment. Pending these negotiations, it would, I think, be premature to make any further statement.