§ Mr. CHARLES DUNCANasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether it is proposed, and, if so, when, to take a ballot vote of the whole of the dockyard employés on the question of the Government scheme of compensation for accidents?
§ Mr. McKENNAInasmuch as any workman is at liberty to refuse to accept the Government scheme, or, having accepted it, to withdraw from it at any time, there does not appear to be any occasion for taking a ballot.
§ Mr. FALLEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he is aware that a number of joiners have recently been obliged to enter Portsmouth Dockyard as labourers in order to revert to their trade; and if he will take steps to have this proceeding discountenanced?
§ Mr. McKENNAJoiners have occasionally been entered as labourers at their own request on account of scarcity of work in their trade in the district. When vacancies for joiners have arisen some of these men have been selected, but it is not proposed to restrict entries of joiners to that source.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty, whether he will consider the advisability of abolishing the classification of storehousemen in the Royal dockyards, and raising their rate of pay so that their weekly wages may rise from a minimum of 35s. per week to a 2567W maximum of 42s. by annual increments of 1s. per week, in view of the increased cost of living in dockyard towns.
§ Mr. McKENNABoth the questions raised are at present under consideration of the Admiralty in connection with the annual dockyard petitions, replies to which will be promulgated in due course.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what was the number of men employed in the Royal Dockyards at the time the establishment was suspended, and what was the number of established men; at what date was the establishment reopened, and what was the number of men on the establishment at the date of the reopening; what number of men has been established since the reopening, and how many of these men reached the age limit for eligibility for establishment during the period of the suspension; what is the number employed at the present time; and what is the number of established men?
§ Mr. McKENNAIt has not been possible in the time available to obtain the information required to enable the hon. Member's question to be answered today, and I must therefore ask him to postpone it.