HC Deb 04 August 1879 vol 249 cc45-6
SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether an Order of the 19th June of the present year places the clerks of the lower division in the Admiralty in an inferior position as regards sick leave to other clerks, and how this Order can be reconciled with his statement, made on the 12th July 1877, that— The lower division of clerks are now on the same footing, as regards leave and other advantages, as any other members of the Civil Service?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER

Sir, I must say that the practice which prevails in this House of having Questions continually put as to details of the arrangements within the clerical establishments of the different offices renders it exceedingly embar- rassing to the Executive Government engaged in administering the Departments. With respect to this particular Question, I will refer, first, to an answer I gave to a Question put to me in July, 1677. I was then asked whether the writers were to be put on the same footing with the clerks of the lower division, and my answer was to the effect that it would be impossible to put all these writers on the same footing. I went on to say that, the clerks were now an established force of the Civil Service, and that they were on the same footing, as regarded leave of absence, as any other Department of that Service, but that the copiers were not on exactly the same footing. It was not my intention to imply that the clerks were to have precisely the same advantages. I said that to a considerable extent, the different Departments regulated these matters according to the circumstances of each case. In July last a question arose as to the allowance for sick leave to the clerks of the lower division of the Admiralty, and the answer was to the effect that a certain practice which then prevailed should be continued. That practice fixes a somewhat different rate for sick leave for the clerks of the lower division than the amount allowed for the other classes. I do not know that the matter is absolutely settled; but that is the present arrangement with regard to the Admiralty.