§ Mr. W. GRAHAMasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Treasury, in sanctioning expenditure for public contracts, makes allowance to contractors for changes in wage rates from time to time resulting from the decisions of courts of arbitration; if so, whether such extra allowances are also made in cases where there is no decision by a court of arbitration but voluntary agreements between contractors and their employés; and what is the general policy of the Treasury and the Ministry of Health in dealing with the extra remuneration of contractors in housing and other schemes who have by voluntary arrangement recently granted increased wages to various classes of employés, including joiners at 2s. 6d. per hour?
§ Dr. ADDISONI have been asked to answer this question. The Ministry of Health require that contracts between local authorities and contractors should provide that the rates of wages payable should be such rates as may from time to time be fixed by a body representative of employers and employed in the class of labour concerned in the district and as may be generally paid and observed in the district in respect of that class of labour. Payments in excess of these rates would not be allowed to rank for the purpose of the Government subsidy. I am informed 1279W that in no case has so high a rate as 2s. 6d. been so fixed in England and Wales.