§ SIR ALBERT ROLLIT (Islington, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any recommendations with a view to the amelioration as regards higher increments, maximum pay, and prospects of the first and second class clerks in Her Majesty's Prisons have been made to him by the Commissioners of Prisons, based on the scheme submitted by the clerks over four months ago, showing that such increased maximum, &c., might be met without an increase in the Prison Vote for Salaries, and when his decision thereon would be made known; whether steps were being taken to apply the Rule for Retirement at the age of 65 of all the higher prison officials above the rank of chief warder; and, whether a petition from the warders of all grades had been received, asking for compulsory retirement after 30 years' service, and 442 when a reply thereto would be addressed to them?
§ SIR MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEYAs I stated the other day, in answer to a Question on the same subject, certain recommendations have been made, which it is hoped may favourably affect the positions and prospects of the prison clerical staff. These recommendations are based on the Report of the Prisons Committee, and not on the scheme submitted by the clerks, which, however, to a certain degree they anticipated. The answer to the second paragraph of the Question is in the negative. A petition from the warders for an improved scale of superannuation is now under consideration.