§ MR. ERNEST GRAY (West Ham, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury—(1) whether he is aware that, 1691 in consequence of the incidence of the monthly accounts in the Statistical Department of the Custom House, the abstractors or assistant clerks employed upon it are frequently compelled to lose the fortnightly half-holiday granted by Order in Council; (2) whether the remainder of the establishment are allowed to take a half-holiday once a fortnight on days other than a Saturday; and (3) whether, when the abstractors or assistant clerks are compelled to lose their half-holiday on the Saturday, they can have it made up to them by being permitted to leave upon some other day?
§ * MR. R. W. HANBURYNo Order in Council gives abstractors the right to a fortnightly half-holiday on Saturdays, but I understand that the Customs extend this benefit to their abstractors whenever the state of public business allows. The answer to the second paragraph is yes. Established clerks in the Statistical Office are allowed half-holidays, when public business permits, on other days than Saturday, in order to admit of the Saturdays being reserved for the half-holidays of the abstractors and boy clerks. I will see what can be done towards meeting the hon. Member's concluding suggestion.