§ Mr. TOUCHEasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether flat rates have been fixed recently for material and clothing in military outfit contracts; and to what extent these are an increase on those of normal times?
Mr. BAKERFlat rates for making up Service Dress Garments were fixed by agreement with the Wholesale Clothiers' Federation in November last as follows:—
These rates represent a considerable advance on the average prices paid on competitive tenderings before the War. The prices at which materials are issued to clothing contractors are also somewhat in excess of those charged before the War.
s. d. Great Coats … … … 28 0 Jackets … … … 12 6 Trousers … … … 8 9 Pantaloons … … … 18 6
§ Mr. TOUCHEasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether it is the practice to give orders for military clothing direct, by way of encouragement, to small progressive employers who have hitherto been sub-contractors at comparatively low prices, when such sub-contractors have installed power machines in their workshops?
Mr. BAKERIt is the practice to assign a share of the War Office orders for military clothing to firms whose output is relatively small, in cases where this course is practicable, but the handling and inspection of a large number of small parcels of goods present practical difficulties which have made it impossible up to the present to carry out this policy as fully as could be wished.
§ Mr. TOUCHEasked whether it will be taken into consideration, in future clothing contracts, to fix flat or minimum rates which contractors shall pay to sub-contractors, or to give the work out direct to 256W associations of small employers working on a co-operative basis, so as to prevent contractors from making abnormal profits, as middlemen, at the cost of the small employers?
Mr. BAKERI am afraid that it would not be practicable to adopt the hon. Member's first suggestion. With regard to the second suggestion, contracts have been made in certain cases with groups of small employers, but it is necessary to inspect separately the deliveries of each component firm, and with the existing strain on the inspection staff it is difficult to make the requisite arrangements.
§ Mr. TOUCHEasked whether the Department will take into consideration the desirability of definitely fixing the minimum amount to be paid in wages on each garment in the case both of military tailor contractors and sub-contractors, so as to remedy any under-payment, as distinguished from sweating of workers, such as is alleged to exist in many cases at present?
Mr. BAKERAny alleged case of under-payment in connection with Army clothing contracts which is such as to infringe the terms of the Fair-Wages Resolution is at once investigated. The question of under-payment is being carefully observed, but I am not at present satisfied that any case has been made out for fixing minimum rates of wages for the making up of each garment.
§ Mr. TOUCHEasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office (1) whether, notwithstanding the recent pressure, it has been possible to adhere to the provision in the Fair-Wages Clause prohibiting a military clothing contractor from transferring or assigning, directly or indirectly, to any persons or persons any portion of his contract without the written permission of the Department; and (2) whether, owing to the increase in the number of soldiers' outfits required, it has been found necessary to make any material relaxation of the conditions with reference to sub-contracting; and, if so, will he state the general effect of the alterations?
Mr. BAKERI will answer this and the following question together. The provision in the Fair-Wages Clause prohibiting a contractor from transferring or assigning, directly or indirectly, to any person or persons any portion of his contract without the written permission of the Department 257W has been maintained in the case of Army clothing contracts. As regards sub-contracting, it was necessary in the early months of the War, on account of the widespread unemployment and of the difficulty of getting into immediate touch with the large number of suitable firms not already noted on the War Office list, to relax the usual restrictions against sub-letting, and to withdraw the Clause requiring all articles to be made-up in the contractor's own factory. As regards Army contracts generally, this permission to sub-let has now been largely curtailed, direct orders being placed wherever possible with the films who had formerly worked as sub-contractors. In the case of clothing contracts, however, it is still necessary, in order to utilise small workshops and secure the fullest possible output, to recognise sub-letting to persons or firms actually making the garments in their own workshops. Strict compliance with the Fair-Wages Clause is insisted on in all such cases.