§ MR. JAMES STUART (Shoreditch, Hoxton)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the fact that the abstractors or assistant clerks employed upon the preparation of the Monthly Trade Returns in the Statistical Department of the Custom House, who were promoted from the position of Civil Service writers in 1891, are only entitled to 14 days' ordinary annual leave, whilst the messengers in the same 1115 Department are enjoying 18 days' ordinary leave, and that the remainder of the Establishment in that Department, including messengers, are entitled to six months' full pay whilst away on sick leave, and that the abstractors or assistant clerks are only allowed an absence of six weeks, including ordinary leave, after which all pay ceases, and that the annual increments of £2 10s. of the abstractors or assistant clerks is only an increase of £1 per annum beyond that accorded to a temporary copyist, he is prepared to reconsider these conditions with the view of improving the terms given to the abstractors?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. R. W. HANBURY,) PrestonI will consider whether any extension of the limits of sick leave on pay can be allowed to abstractors. As regards the other points raised by the Question, the Treasury consider that, for the rudimentary clerical work done by abstractors, the present conditions of their employment are sufficiently favourable. I can hold out no hopes that they will be improved.