§ Mr. DUNCANasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport whether his attention has been drawn to the conditions which apply to the men working on arterial roads who, after travelling long distances to their work, are prevented from following their employment owing to the weather conditions, and are consequently not entitled to any payment from the contractors; and whether he will consider the desirability of making some allowance for the time these men are rained off, as the men concerned cannot live on the wages earned, and are worse off than if they were in receipt of out-door relief from the guardians?
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§ Lieut.-Colonel ASHLEYI assume that the hon. Member's question relates to arterial road schemes in Essex and Kent, for which the men, by arrangement with the London County Council, are recruited from the unemployed resident within the area of that county. These projects are being carried out by contractors, and the wages and conditions under which the men work are those generally applicable to such contracts, save, that, as the men generally have to travel considerable distances, their railway fares from London are paid. In the circumstances, I am not prepared to ask the contractors to depart from the usual practice of the industry as regards "wet time."