§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the Secretary to the Admiralty if the subsistence allowance granted at the commencement of the War in the case of men brought from a distance and enlisted in the dockyards on emergency terms of a special subsistence allowance of £1 a week has been discontinued in the case of new entrants, whilst in the case of men already in receipt of it and who have already more than completed the three months' employment guaranteed them the allowance is being withdrawn; if so, will he explain why this substantial reduction is being made in the wages of the men, especially at a time when appeals are being made for skilled workmen in the munitions factories with the promise of special subsistence allowance; if he is aware that there is disaffection among the electricians in the dockyards on this account, and that the London district committee has asked the executive of the union to withdraw all their members from His Majesty's dockyards and Government ships; and will he re-establish the subsistence allowance?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe subsistence allowance referred to has been discontinued in respect of new entrants. The emergency terms were intended to be of a temporary character for men engaged from a distance to enable these men to meet the expense they might incur in accepting employment in the Dockyards1664W owing to the temporary necessity of maintaining two homes. In accordance with the original intention, the employment on the emergency terms is being in all cases terminated when circumstances admit of this being done I need not say that there has been no breach of undertaking. It is not anticipated that the termination of the employment on special terms of a relatively few men is calculated to cause any disaffection amongst the employés who are serving under ordinary conditions.