§ Lord CHARLES BERESFORDasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether contractors at the present time are paying standard rates to painters working His Majesty's ships; whether the standard rate is not paid to dockyard painters employed on the same class of work; and, if so, will he explain why the lower rate is paid by the dockyard?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAContractors, as the Noble Lord is aware, have to satisfy the Fair-Wages Clause. Dockyard mechanics, hired and established, are paid according to the scale of the dockyard regulations, which scale, taking all relevant facts into 441W consideration, cannot be said to compare unfavourably with the rate for the locality outside the Royal Yard. The Noble Lord is, no doubt, also aware that the organisation of the Royal Yards provides for a threefold classification of workmen—labourers, skilled labourers, and mechanics. Both as regards painting work and rough woodwork, it is the practice in the yards to employ the skilled labourer class upon the simpler operations which require less skill than that of the trained mechanic. The skilled labourer's wage is below that of the skilled mechanic; but the general policy of the Board is that the skilled labourer should not be given such work as I have described, except of the rougher and more elementary kinds, and under no circumstances should the skilled labourer 442W be put to do work which may be properly said to be that of the mechanic. As far as I am aware this practice is being strictly observed