§ 36. Mr. WATTasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether samples of the goods wanted by his Department are systematically sent to Scottish centres to faciliate Scottish manufacturers tendering for contracts; and will he say to how many town in Scotland such samples are sent?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAIn addition to sending small samples to each firm invited to tender, larger samples of the undermentioned goods are systematically sent to the chambers of commerce at the Scottish centres named, to facilitate other Scottish manufacturers tendering for the contracts. The samples are sent annually, and sometimes oftener, but are not always sent when purchases recur at short intervals. The centres and goods referred to are as follows:—
- Dundee.—Canvas sailcloth, coal bag and sack cloth, twines, jute goods, canvas for hammocks, scene painting canvas, linen duck cloth, and sundry linen goods.
- Dunfermline.—Damask table linen, linen goods.
- Glasgow.—Canvas sailcloth, coal bag and sack cloth, threads, twines, waterproof packing paper and worsted, comforters and woollen drawers.
- Galashiels.—Blue serge, blue cloth.
- Hawick.—Comforters, jerseys and woollen drawers.
§ Mr. BRADYArising out of the answer, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether similar arrangements will be made with Irish centres to enable Irish contractors to tender for goods of this sort?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAOff-hand, I should say yes; but perhaps the hon. Member will put down a question.
§ Mr. BRADYIn the meantime, perhaps the right hon. Gentleman will be kind enough to make some inquiries?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAYes.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTWill the right hon. Gentleman consider the advisability of extending the number of goods of which samples are sent, such as timber goods and manufactured articles?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAWe send many samples. In many cases there is no need to send a sample.
§ 102. Mr. WATTasked the Under-Secretary of State for War what facilities were given to Scottish manufacturers in the way of showing them in Scotland samples of the goods required by his Department, as compared with facilities given to English manufacturers?
Mr. BAKERIt has been the practice for a long time to send for exhibition at certain chambers of commerce, patterns of specified articles for which tenders are invited. Negotiations are now in progress to arrange for exhibition at a larger number of chambers and to extend the list of articles, as many Scotch contractors are coming into competition for goods which they hitherto did not supply.
§ 103. Mr. WATTasked what proportion of the clothing contract for the Army which was recently placed went to contractors in Scotland?
Mr. BAKERThe total number of garments ordered from Scotch firms was 168,950, or about 4¼ per cent. of the total ordered in the United Kingdom. I may add that the total number tendered for by Scotch firms was only 403,390, so that the orders placed covered over 40 per cent. of the numbers offered, while English firms secured orders for less than 25 per cent. of the numbers offered.
§ Mr. WATTIs the hon. Gentleman aware that 4¼ per cent. is only half of that to which we are entitled?
§ 104. Mr. WATTasked why the contract recently placed for clothing for the Army introduced the new condition of forbidding sub-contracting, especially so far as Scotland is concerned, in view of the fact that the smaller makers there pay higher wages to their workpeople than the larger makers?
Mr. BAKERThe prohibition of subcontracting is not a new condition, but one which had been in force in regard to clothing contracts for many years before the War. It was temporarily suspended in the early part of the War to meet the emergency, but, in view of the abuses which are liable to occur under a system of general sub-contracting, it was reintroduced as soon as circumstances permitted. All contractors are bound to pay rates of wages which fulfil the requirements of the Fair-Wages Clause.