HC Deb 19 May 1890 vol 344 cc1279-80
MR. J. KELLY (Camberwell, N.)

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether it is the fact that several men are now employed in the Science and Art Department at South Kensington who have been hired through Messrs. Waterlow & Sons; if so, whether Messrs. Waterlow & Sons are paid at the rate of 1s. per hour by the Government in respect of every such man's service for the normal official day, and of 1s. 6d. per hour for overtime; whether Messrs. Waterlow & Sons are permitted to make a profit of 3d. and 6d. per hour respectively out of the work of every such man so hired to the Government through their agency; and, if so, on what ground this system of obtaining clerical labour for the Public Service has been adopted, as it is in direct opposition to the advice of the Playfair Commission of 1874; whether it is the fact that, of the Civil Service writers in the Department in question (many of whom have served from 10 to 17 years and who are in receipt of only 10d. anbour with the bonus of 1d. a day per year) as many as 45 out of 85 were recommended by the heads of their Departments for promotion to the Lower Division, in accordance with the terms of the Treasury Minute of December, 1886, and that these recommendations have been, with two or three exceptions, ignored by the Treasury; and if he will state the reasons for which these recommendations of nearly 40 public servants of long standing and admitted merit have so been ignored?

*MR. CREMER

Have the Government arrived at any conclusion in regard to the appointment of a Committee, which they more than half promised me last Session, to inquire into the whole system of the employment of persons in Government Offices and allowing them to be sweated by contractors?

*ME. JACKSON

I am informed that 13 law stationers' clerks are temporarily employed at South Kensington, and that Messrs. Waterlow receive 1s. per hour for their services, but none of them are employed on overtime at 1s. 6d. an hour. I have no cognisance of the arrangements between Messrs. Waterlow and the men. The employment is purely temporary, to meet a pressure of work, and is in accordance with recognised regulations. I have always felt it necessary to decline to discuss the confidential recommendations made by Departments as to the promotion of copyists. The recommendations made by beads of Departments were not ignored by the Treasury; on the contrary, every case was carefully considered.

*MR. CREMER

Are we to understand from the reply which has been given that Messrs. Waterlow are permitted to deduct in one instance 3d., and in another 6d., per hour out of the work of the men hired for the Government through their agency?

*MR. JACKSON

I am informed that 13 law stationers' clerks were temporarily employed at South Kensington, and that Messrs. Waterlow received 1s. per hour for their services. The Government have no cognisance of the arrangement between Messrs. Waterlow and their men.

*MR. J. KELLY

I beg to give notice that when the Vote for the moneys to be paid to Messrs. Waterlow is taken, I will move its reduction by the amount payable to them in respect of this sweating-contract between the Government and themselves.