§ Major HORE-BELISHAasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that the grievance of the yardcraft men in respect of their long hours of duty, which sometimes amount to 118:1 hours per week, has been outstanding for at least a quarter of a century; and whether he is aware of the great grievance felt by these men and by employés in the dockyard generally as to the delays in the Whitley Council procedure; and whether he could overhaul the whole machinery so as to effect more expeditious settlements of disputes?
§ Mr. HODGESI would draw the hon. Member's attention to the reply given on the 28th May to his question regarding the hours of duty of yardcraft men. Applications for the hours of duty of yardcraft men to be defined in the same way as for workman employed in factories and workshops have always been refused, and it may be that applications of this kind were being made so long ago as is suggested by the hon. Member. As regards the latter part of the question, it is not known that there is any widespread grievance on the ground suggested. Any proposal from the workmen's representatives on the Industrial Councils to review the machinery of those councils would receive the consideration of the Admiralty.