MR. KEIR-HARDIE (West Ham, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether any of the persons employed about the House of Commons in the department of the Serjeant-at-Arms are paid less than £100 a year; whether the salary is a fixed one irrespective of the length of the Session; what are the hours during which they require to be on duty on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays when the House is sitting; whether it would be possible to arrange the hours of all such persons on the basis of an eight hour day; and whether any extra allowance will be made them as compensation for the length of the present Session?
§ MR. R. G. WEBSTER (St. Pancras, E.)I put a question down on the Paper 1765 on this subject, but for some reason it was withdrawn. I have, however, given private notice to the Secretary to the Treasury to ask whether, in view of the more than usually protracted Sittings of the House, the Treasury will grant additional remuneration to their servants, many of whom are being put to considerably extra cost for travelling expenses?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Sir J. T. HIBBERT, Oldham)I think that the question is one rather for the Speaker than for the Treasury, as the conditions under which the messengers in the Department of the Serjeant-at-Arms serve are laid down by the authorities of the House. I gather from the Estimates that there are in the Department of the Serjeant-at-Arms 23 messengers paid at the rate of £100 a year and upwards, four office-keepers receiving £88, one assistant in the waiting-room £80, and six fire-lighters, porters, and watchmen receiving £65. I may say that the ordinary pay of messengers in the Public Departments appears to range from £70 or £80 a year to £110 or £120, and these messengers are, with the exception of a short vacation, required to give daily attendance throughout the year. I am informed that the messengers' salaries are fixed irrespective of length of Session, and that they are on duty on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays while the House is sitting. The question of the number of hours of service and of extra allowance, if any, must be reserved for the Speaker and the authorities of the House. I may add that I fully sympathise with the messengers and attendants in regard to their extended hours of labour, but I may point out that hon. Members also are put to like inconvenience.
§ SIR J. T. HIBBERTAs long as the House is sitting.
MR. KEIR-HARDIEIs it not a fact that some of these men have to come down as early as 9 or 10 o'clock, and do not get away until after mid-night?
§ SIR J. T. HIBBERTThat may apply to the lighters of fires and porters, but not, I think, to the messengers. I will, however, make further inquiry.