§ MR. KNOXI beg to ask the Postmaster General whether his attention has been called to the complaint that substitutes, at 12s. a week, are employed to do a great part of the work in the Belfast Telegraph Office; what is the maximum, and what the minimum, number of such substitutes employed at any one time during the past 12 months; and whether many of these substitutes are employed at night work?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. A. MORLEY,) Nottingham, E.In addition to the 137 Established officers, I find that on an average 12 substitutes have been employed during the past year in the Belfast Telegraph Office. It cannot be said, therefore, that the substi- 1580 tutes do a great part of the work. The maximum number of such substitutes employed in any one week during the past 12 months is 15, the minimum number 5. Until recently one or two of these substitutes were regularly employed on duties terminating at 1.30 a.m.; but about a fortnight ago arrangements were made to relieve youths under 18 years of age from attendance after 11.45 p.m.