§ Sir W. Jenkinsasked the Minister of Supply why local contractors in the building trades at Neath and Pontardawe are not asked to tender for work, and why London and other firms are given preference; and will he give the number of building operatives thrown out of employment in these areas during the last six months, giving each month separately?
§ Colonel LlewellinBuilding contracts on behalf of the Ministry of Supply in the area in question were placed by His Majesty's Office of Works acting as agents for the Ministry. I am advised that there are no firms in Neath or Pontardawe capable of handling the erection of factories of the size and type required. As regards the last part of the Question, the Ministry of Labour have no figures showing the number of building operatives thrown out of employment in Neath and Pontardawe during the last six months. They can, however, state the numbers of insured males in the building industry recorded as unemployed at the Neath and Pontardawe Employment Exchanges at one date in each month from July to December last, and these figures follow:1164W
Numbers of Insured Males, aged 14–64, in the Building Industry, recorded as Unemployed at the Neath and Pontardawe Employment Exchanges at one date in each month from July to December, 1939. Neath. Pontardawe. 10th July, 1939 101 9 14th August, 1939 93 11 11th September, 1939 54 9 16th October, 1939 69 13 13th November, 1939 78 13 11th December, 1939 94 26
§ Sir W. Jenkinsasked the Minister of Supply whether he has considered an application from the South Wales Federation of Building Employers and Employees to give them an opportunity of tendering for all Government contracts in South Wales; will he give the number of contracts that have been given in South Wales; the names of firms who received the contract for the last two years; and why local contractors are not asked to tender?
§ Colonel LlewellinMy right hon. Friend has no knowledge of the application from the South Wales Federation of Building Employers and Employés referred to, nor is he responsible for Government building contracts generally. As concerns buildings required by the Ministry of Supply, two factories have been, or are being, erected for the Ministry in South Wales under agency arrangements, and the contracts for construction were in both instances placed locally. Of the contracts for the construction of three Royal Ordnance factories recently built in South Wales and Monmouthshire, one was given to a local contractor, but the contracts for the other two were considered to be beyond the capacity of local contractors, regard being had to the contracts on which they were already engaged.