§ MR. LABOUCHEREI beg to ask the First Commissioner of Works 1144 whether arrangements have been made by which the cleaners of the two Houses of Parliament will be placed directly under the Office of Works, will receive their pay without any deduction to a middle man, and will have a half-holiday on Saturdays and the usual annual holiday that is granted to other working men employed in the two Houses of Parliament?
§ THE FIRST COMMISSIONER OF WORKS (Mr. PLUNKET, Dublin University)It is not intended to increase the-number of workmen employed about the Houses of Parliament, and employed directly under the Office of Works; but the cleaners will, under the new form of contract, which comes into force in April next, receive their pay without deduction to a middleman, and will not be-required to work on Saturday afternoons except under very special circumstances, in which cases they would receive extra pay. The men regularly employed about the Houses on special duty, for instance, in the ventilating department, are paid by the week, and may often have to work for long hours without extra pay. They, therefore, get an annual holiday, which is not given to contractors' men, who are paid by the hour.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREAnd the annual holiday?
§ MR. PLUNKETMen employed by the Office of Works are paid by the week, and sometimes do extra work without receiving extra pay, and consequently an annual holiday is given to them.