Viscountess ASTORasked the Financial Secretary to the Admiralty whether he has considered the possibility of meeting the difficulty of paying a living wage to dockyard men by some system of children's allowances supplementary to wages; whether he is aware that such a system, introduced by voluntary agreement between employers and employés, is spreading rapidly on the Continent, especially in France and Germany; that in France it already covers about 2½ million wage earners, estimated to be nearly half the wage earners of France, excluding agriculturists; that the numbers covered by the system include all State employés; and whether, in view of the importance of the subject, he will direct that full inquiries shall be made into the working of the system on the Continent?
§ Commander EYRES-MONSELLThe wages of dockyard men are not low in comparison with the wages paid in commercial industry, and the suggestion contained in my hon. Friend's question is not one which the Board is prepared to adopt.