§ Mr. DEVLINasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he has taken any practical steps to ascertain the rates of wages paid to the workers engaged on the contracts for dowlas and linen tent duck placed by the War Department with Belfast firms; and whether he will state the names of those firms and the quantity and value of the order placed with each of them?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe proposed contracts for linen tent duck have not yet been placed. I will circulate with the OFFICIAL REPORT details as to the recent orders for dowlas. All orders are placed subject to the usual War Office conditions of contracts which include the observance of the contractor of the Fair-Wages Resolution of this House. No complaint has been received about the wages paid by any of the firms holding orders, and in the absence of a complaint no inquiry has been made. But any complaint that may be made would be carefully investigated.