24. Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked whether the Insurance Commissioners have recommended to the local insurance committees that they should insert a Fair-Wages Clause in any contracts made by them; and whether they will make a similar recommendation to approved societies in regard to labour employed by them direct or in regard to contracts made by them for the supply of labour?
Mr. BENNThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, and to the second part in the negative. I have already explained that the Commissioners cannot interfere with the arrangements of individual approved societies in this matter.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTIs the position of approved societies not exactly the same as insurance committees, and is it not the case that the reason given by the Commissioners to the insurance committees for their recommendation was that they were spending public money, and that therefore some precaution ought to be taken to secure that an adequate wage was paid where the expenditure of public money was concerned?
Mr. BENNYes, Sir; but there is no exact similarity between the contracts made by the insurance committees and the wages paid by approved societies.