§ 52. Mr. HOGGEasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he can give the names of the gentlemen serving on the 1301 Committee appointed by the War Office to assist it in organising and placing Army clothing contracts?
66. Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether any Scottish clothing manufacturing firms are represented upon the Advisory Committee which has been appointed to advise the War Office with regard to the organising and placing of clothing contracts for the Army?
Mr. BAKERAs I stated on another occasion, the Committee appointed to advise as to the handling and issue of the large quantities of stores at Pimlico and elsewhere has no functions of any kind in connection with clothing contracts. The names of its members are as follows:—
§ Official Members.
§ Unofficial Members.
§ Mr. HOGGEWhat objection is there to adding to the Committee a Scottish Member to represent the Scottish trade?
Mr. BAKERThis Committee does not represent the trade at all. It is advising purely and solely on organisation and the handling of goods.
§ Mr. PRINGLECan the hon. Gentleman say which Member for Leeds and which Member for Leicestershire?
Mr. BAKERI must apologise, but my hon. Friend who put the question knew the Members. It is the hon. Member for Loughborough (Sir M. Levy) and the hon. Member for North Leeds (Mr. Rowland Barran).
§ 59. Mr. WATTasked whether orders for clothing for the Army were given out at the Ordnance Store in Stirling at the beginning of the War; if so, why this practice was discontinued; and what 1302 system is now adopted by his Department to ensure that Scottish tailors get a fair share of the Government contracts for clothing?
Mr. BAKERDuring the first two months of the War large purchases were made locally by the various Army Ordnance depots (including that at Stirling) to meet the immediate needs of the troops. This system was discontinued as soon as practicable in order to avoid competition between several independent purchasing agents, and to secure that all goods supplied to the troops should receive expert inspection. Orders for clothing are distributed throughout the United Kingdom with due regard for economy and capacity of production, and the services of Scottish clotheirs have been utilised to a considerable extent.
§ Mr. WATTCan the hon. Gentleman tell us whether Scottish sellers of clothing have to come to London to show their samples and to get orders?
§ Mr. HOGGEIs the hon. Gentleman aware that a number of Scottish merchants laid down extra machinery and employed extra hands to supply this ordnance store at Stirling and now do not get any orders?
§ 60. Mr. WATTasked whether shortness exists in the supply of material to the contractors making clothing for the Army; and whether, in these circumstances, care is taken by his Department that the fair share of material available is given to Scottish sub-contractors, and that they are not always the last to be served?
Mr. BAKERThere is no present shortage except in regard to greatcoat cloth, and this, I believe, will soon be-removed. Every endeavour has been and is being made to supply material to Scottish contractors equally with others.
§ 61. Mr. WATTasked whether considerable quantities of orders for clothing for our Army have gone to America; whether these orders have gone direct from the War Office or have been sub-contracted by his intermediary agents, Glanfield and Sons, or their agent; and, in any case, were the prices paid higher than have been paid to our tailors at Home?
Mr. BAKEROwing to the necessity for clothing the New Army in the shortest possible time, orders for uniforms have been placed by the War Office both in Canada and the United States. No firm holding War Office contracts for clothing has been allowed to sub - contract in Canada or the United States. The prices paid have been in most cases higher than those at which contracts have been placed in this country, on account of the greater cost of raw material and labour in America.
§ Mr. PRINGLEWill the hon. Gentleman say whether these contracts have been placed with commission agents and, if so, what commission is paid?
Mr. BAKERWill the hon. Gentleman give me notice of that question? There are two cases concerned, the United States and Canada.
§ Mr. WATTAre we to understand that an order for clothing was sent to America while a number of our tailors were practically unemployed?
Mr. BAKERThe orders were placed outside this country simply and solely because it was thought necessary to clothe the Army at the earliest possible moment.
63. Mr. PERCY HARRISasked whether the Fair-Wages Clause is inserted in War Office clothing contracts; whether any and, if so, what steps are taken to enforce it; and whether many of such contracts are being sub-let several times over with the result that the workpeople who actually make the clothing are not paid fair wages?
Mr. BAKERThe Fair-Wages Clause is inserted in all War Office clothing contracts, and contractors' premises are inspected with a view to ascertaining that its requirements are being carried out. Some cases of sub-letting beyond that allowed by the Department have been discovered; and in every such case prompt action has been taken to bring it to an end.