§ 113. Mr. O'GRADYasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give information as to the extent to which Messrs. Burberry, of London, Basing-stoke, Reading, and Winchester, have in hand orders for officers' clothing either from the War Office or from individual officers; whether he is aware that the method of manufacture adopted some years ago by this firm involves the employment of women in place of skilled men, at piece rates much less than those paid in fair houses; whether the Office of Trade Boards have received a complaint on this subject, in which it is alleged that, owing to the inadequate piece rates, many women work at home after workshop hours, in contravention of the Factory Act; whether the firm have recently disregarded applications to receive a deputation of their workpeople, accompanied by trade union representatives, on the subject of their earnings, and have since, with the object of encouraging thrift, offered a special payment of 2½d. a week to non-unionists; whether, if information on these questions is not in his possession, he will cause them to be investigated with a view to ensuring the due observations of the Trade Boards Act and the Fair-Wage Clause, and communicate the result to the Contracts Department of the War Office and to other public Departments concerned?
§ Mr. PRETYMANI have no knowledge of the matters referred to in the question, but representations have been made to my right hon. Friend within the last few days with regard to the conditions of employment at the Basingstoke factory of the firm mentioned. Inquiry is about to be made, and if any infringement of the Trade Boards Act or the Fair-Wages Clause is found to have occurred, suitable action will be taken