§ Sir R. Gowerasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether arrangements have now been made for the submission to arbitration of the claim of foremen's writers in His Majesty's dockyards for improved conditions of service?
§ Mr. ShakespeareIt is the settled policy of the Admiralty to agree to the reference of an issue to arbitration only where it can be properly regarded as being in the nature of a straight-wage claim on behalf of a well-defined class of employé. The employés now in question form part of the general body of mechanics in the dockyards, and the Admiralty are not prepared to recognise them as constituting a separate class. They are accordingly unable to agree to the claim made on their behalf being referred to arbitration.