§ MR. PAUL (Edinburgh, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland, in reference to the system of hours in the Sasine Office, whether the recommendation by the Ridley Commission of a day of seven hours for the Civil Service, as more economical than a day of six, was 1023 accepted by the Treasury; whether Lord Lothian recommended that in the Sasine Office seven hours should be substituted for six after the reduction of the staff; whether the staff has since been reduced from 92 to 72; whether the clerks are employed overtime in the Spring, when there is no over-pressure of work; and whether the engrossing clerks have, since the recent Martinmas term, been employed on the ordinary work of the commissioned staff, contrary to the Treasury Minute of 1881?
§ THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (Sir G. TREVELYAN, Glasgow, Bridgeton)The seven hours has, as a rule, been accepted by the Treasury; but on account of the special character of the work of the Sasine Office, as I have recently explained in this House in answer to a question, the application of the system of that office has not been carried out. My predecessor's remarks on the point will be found in Part IV. of his Minute of 1880, which was laid before Parliament. The staff is now maintained at 75, and overtime has only once been used—in the Spring of last year —to complete certain indices under pressure. Pending the introduction of certain changes in the system of registration, some engrossing clerks have given temporary assistance at the terms of Whit-Sunday and Martinmas, with great advantage in expediting the work of the office, and are paid by piecework.