§ 13. Mr. KENNEDYasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that men who were transferred from southern yards to Rosyth Dockyard were promised permanent employment; and whether he can give assurance that the notices of discharge given to these men will be withdrawn?
§ Mr. AMERYThe terms upon which workmen were transferred from southern dockyards to Rosyth provided that they should be placed on the established list after 12 months' satisfactory service at Rosyth, subject to the usual conditions as to eligibility. The great majority of these men have now been established, although for various reasons some have not availed themselves of the opportunity. In these latter cases the tenure of their employment at Rosyth is the same as that of hired workmen at any other dockyard.
§ Mr. J. WALLACEHas any decision been come to with regard to the transfer of some of these men to southern yards from the dockyard at Rosyth?
§ 14. Mr. KENNEDYasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that men being discharged from the Rosyth Dockyard are being called upon to pay increased rents for their houses; whether the Admiralty own any houses in Rosyth; and, if so, whether these increases in rent have been approved by his Department?
§ Mr. AMERYThe men now being discharged from Rosyth Dockyard who have had notice to quit their houses are not being called upon to pay any increased rent. A few men in the past who left the dockyard had their rents increased by the Scottish National Housing Company, Limited, in according with the practice adopted by the company towards tenants not in Admiralty employ. The Admiralty are the owners of the temporary dwellings at Rosyth, comprising the East and West Bungalow Cities, and have made no increases in the rents of men now being discharged. Instructions were given by the Admiralty in May last in respect of their 1250 houses occupied by discharged workmen tenants, that the service of notice of increase in rent was to be suspended until the men were in employment.
§ 27. Mr. RAPERasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty why ex-service men are being discharged at Rosyth; whether the terms of the Lytton Report have been carried out; whether the ex-service men are receiving a month's warning and a month's notice; and, if not, why ex-service men at Rosyth are receiving less notice than that given to other ex-service men and non-service men and women in all other Departments?
§ Mr. AMERYI assume that my hon. Friend is referring to reductions in the clerical staff. No specific orders have been given recently as regards reductions, but such reductions would follow normally on reduction of work due to discharge of workmen. The local officers are instructed to effect discharges of clerical staff in accordance with the principles laid down in the Lytton Report. Clerical staffs employed in industrial establishments receive a fortnight's warning and notice of discharge.