§ Mr. Wiseasked the Secretary of State for War whether tenders were obtained for the erection of hutment camps at Ewshot, Hampshire, and elsewhere, or whether the work is being carried out on a percentage basis, and if the latter, what the percentage is?
§ Sir V. WarrenderOwing to extreme urgency, contracts for the hutted camps in the Ewshot neighbourhood were placed without competitive tendering with a firm known to be in a position to start the work immediately. Some of the contracts were placed at lump sum prices, variable in respect of authorised changes in wages rates. In others, the contractor's remuneration is calculated as a percentage of an estimate of the prime cost, together with a bonus if the contractor keeps the prime cost below the estimate.
It would be contrary to practice to disclose the contractor's prices, but they com- 2484W pare favourably with those of other contracts placed for similar work at about the same time after competitive tendering. Contracts placed for hutted camps elsewhere have usually been allotted as the result of competitive tenderings.
§ Mr. Wiseasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that boys under 18 years of age are working over 80 hours a week, including Sundays, on the new hutment camp at Ewshot, Hampshire; and whether he will take steps to ensure that this is not done when further contracts are placed?
§ Sir V. WarrenderI am informed that boys under 18 years of age employed by the contractor at this camp are working 65 hours a week, and that they do not work on Sundays.