§ MR. MACLURE (Lancashire, S.E., Stretford)I beg to ask the First Commissioner of Works whether it is true that the park-keepers in Kensington Palace Gardens and Hyde Park are kept on duty from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. during the summer months; and whether he will consider how the hours of duty may be diminished?
§ THE FIRST COMMISSIONER OF WORKS (Mr. PLUNKET,) Dublin UniversityThere are no park-keepers in Hyde Park, and with Kensington Palace Gardens I have nothing to do; but, assuming that my hon. Friend's question refers to Kensington Gardens, I have to say that it is true that in two of the 1715 summer months—June and July—the park-keepers in every alternate week of those two months go on duty at 6 a.m. and come off at 9.30 p.m.; but between those hours they have four and a quarter hours for meals—i.e., two hours for breakfast, an hour and a half for dinner, and three-quarters of an hour for tea. Their case is, I think, not at all a hard one, and I have no reason to suppose that they are dissatisfied. In every alternate week of those two months the men go on at 8 a.m. and come off at 9.30 p.m., having two and a quarter hours for their dinner and tea. During the other 10 months the hours vary according to the time of year, the minimum being seven hours at midwinter. I wish we were as well off in the House of Commons.