§ Sir R. Youngasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works and Buildings what steps are taken to provide firms of building contractors with new work when contracts are about finished; and whether any effort is made to keep the men employed together, preferably with the same employer, to prevent them drifting into other work not connected with the building industry where their usefulness as building workers is wasted or not utilised?
§ Mr. HicksThe placing of contracts does not rest with the Ministry of Works and Buildings, except in so far as concerns works actually being carried out by the Ministry. I can say that it is the practice of the Ministry, in letting new contracts, to take into account how contractors are placed in regard to completing existing works. But I have to remind my hon. Friend that it is also the Ministry's practice to place contracts, so far as is practicable, by competitive tender. The Restriction on Engagement Order and the Essential Work Order are designed to keep building labour from drifting on to other and less essential work; and steps are being taken to secure still more effective control over the movement of building labour. But it is not considered by the Ministry, or by the industry itself, to be desirable that building labour should be individually ear-marked for or frozen to particular employers. It is part of the pool from which the requirements of all contractors engaged on essential work are to be met.