§ 53. Mr. C. DUNCANasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that the Nestle and Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company, who are contractors to his Department, are paying 2s. less per week to their workmen, and 1s. 7d. per week less to the workwomen, employed at their Chippenham factory than the same firm pays to similar workpeople at Staverton, in the same immediate district, and that they are employing their workmen at Chippenham five hours more per week than the employés of the same firm at Staverton, and six hours per week more than workmen of the same grade at Melksham, Wilts; and 32 whether he will make immediate inquiry into the matter with a view to the firm carrying out the Fair-Wages Clause in their contract?
The SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY {Dr. Macnamara)The Admiralty contract is carried out at the Staverton works only, and it would appear that there is no complaint of the wages and hours at those works.