26. Mr. MONTAGUE BARLOWasked the Minister of Munitions whether he will cause inquiry to be made as to whether the factory at Woolwich is working short time or is not fully occupied with work; whether he is aware of the uneasiness caused 983 amongst munition workers in the North who are being pressed to work and who, in many cases, are working long hours overtime; and whether, if there is such shortage of munition work at Woolwich, he can arrange for some of the workers there to come to the North and assist munition workers in the areas where the pressure of munition work is very great?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the WAR OFFICE (Mr. Forster)My attention has been drawn to a number of statements to the effect that men and machinery in the Royal Gun Factory at Woolwich are not fully employed, and I have already made inquiries into the matter. I propose to circulate with the Votes a statement in the form of brief notes dealing seriatim with the allegations which have been made, but I may here say, generally, that these allegations are untrue and misleading. Far from being short of work the Gun Factory could readily employ, if they could be secured, greater numbers of highly skilled men than have hitherto been obtainable. Any such uneasiness among munitions workers in the north as is referred to in the question is entirely devoid of any proper foundation.—[See Written Answers this date.]