§ 54. Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Supply how many persons were involved in, and what was the duration of, the recent strike in the workshops at Fort Halstead, near Sevenoaks; if he will set up a committee of experienced industrial- 4W ists presided over by a prominent Queen's Counsel to inquire into the possibility of reducing the expenditure of public money and of dismissing staff who are not doing essential work at Fort Halstead; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. SandysMy hon. Friend must, I think, be referring to a short stoppage of work on 17th June. It lasted only a few hours. Some 80 persons were involved. I do not consider that an inquiry of the kind suggested is called for. I am, however, looking into various points about which my hon. Friend wrote to me last week.