HC Deb 05 July 1895 vol 35 cc256-7
MR. HENRY KIMBER (Wandsworth)

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether the allowance made in a lump sum to the Head of a Department to enable him to obtain copying or clerical assistance in accordance with the provisions of the Treasury Minute of 10th August 1889 (paragraphs 24, 25, and 26), is intended to be applied in the employment of persons at a higher rate of pay than that formerly paid to the old class of temporary copyists, or on work of a more important character than that formerly performed by that class; whether the allowance of £1,300 (Bankruptcy), and £1,200 (Companies (Winding-up), entered in the Civil Service Estimates (page 119) as required by the Inspector General in Bankruptcy for clerical assistance for the year 1895–96, will be applied in the employment of persons receiving a higher rate of pay than 35s. a week; whether one personal clerk employed temporarily under these regulations in the office of the Inspector General in Bankruptcy is paid a salary of £400 a year out of this allowance, and another personal clerk is also employed in the same office at a salary of £150 a year, payable out of the same allowance; whether any other personal clerks, employed under these regulations and paid out of an allowance for clerical assistance of the character referred to in the aforesaid Treasury Minute, are employed in any other Government Department at a higher rate of pay or salary than 35s. weekly; and, if so, whether the right hon. Gentleman would have any objection to have a Return of such employments, with the rate of pay or salary assigned to each post, placed upon the Table of the House; whether these appointments are in the patronage of the head of the Department; and whether the personal clerks so appointed undergo any examination at the hands of the Civil Service Commissioners?

*THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. R. W. HANBURY,) Preston

The paragraphs of the Treasury Minute referred to apply only to copyists. The higher appointments referred to are made by arrangement between the Treasury and the Departments concerned, under the authority of the Order in Council, dated June 4th, 1870. Such lump sum allowances as are referred to are not necessarily confined to purely copying and routine work. The two sums allowed to the Inspector General in Bankruptcy are not confined to such services. The distribution of such an allowance, when the total allowance of the amount has been fixed, has been left to the discretion of the head of the Department, and the Treasury have not hitherto interfered with it; and, therefore, I have no official information as to the details. I am unable on such short notice to say whether the suggested Return could be given, without communicating with the Board of Trade and other Departments concerned; but I will gladly make further inquiry. Persons so employed are selected by the head of the Department, and without any examination by the Civil Service Commissioners.