HC Deb 22 February 1915 vol 70 cc16-7
34. Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKE

asked whether the advance of 1s. to the wages of the skilled labourers employed in His Majesty's dockyards will be extended to all the skilled labour ratings receiving between 24s. and 31s.; will he give the number of skilled labourers receiving the minimum rate of pay and the number receiving between 24s. and 31s.; and whether the Admiralty are paying 1½d. and 2d. per hour extra to contractors' men (doing the same work as is done in His Majesty's dockyards) in addition to their ordinary pay, which is at all times higher than the pay of the sklled labourers in the Royal yards?

Dr. MACNAMARA

I do not know what the hon. Gentleman has in mind in quoting a scale of 21s. to 31s. as applicable to skilled labourers. As he is aware, prior to the increase which I recently announced, the ordinary minimum for skilled labourers was 24s. with a probationary rate of 23s. The advance of 1s. a week recently granted has specific reference only to the probationary and minimum rates, but it will no doubt affect the numbers borne on higher rates within the scale. To give the numbers asked for by the hon. Member would involve a considerable amount of clerical labour, which I do not think I should be justified in imposing on the Department at the present time. I do not understand to what the hon. Member refers in the last part of the question.

Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKE

Might I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether a great number of skilled labourers employed in the Royal dockyards are men who are not on the service scale?

Dr. MACNAMARA

The skilled labourers are on the scale for getting 24s., rising to 28s. ordinary maximum and 31s. special maximum.

Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKE

The right hon. Gentleman misunderstands me. Does he not know that the number of labourers who are on the lowest scale, 24s., is very small compared with the number on the higher scale?

Dr. MACNAMARA

I could not say. I have just said that to get those figures would involve a great amount of clerical labour which I could not ask the Department to undertake just now.