§ MR. MACALEESE (Monaghan, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster-General, whether any representations have reached him respecting the defective lavatory accommodation at present provided for the female section of the telegraph staff of the Belfast Post Office; and can it be stated what was the numerical strength of the female staff when this accommodation was first provided, and what is the total number of females at present on the Belfast stall, comprising 316 appointed, auxiliaries, and season substitutes; and whether, seeing that the lavatory is almost immediately off the female dining room, from which it is separated by a small dressing or cloak room, there is any objection to the local sanitary authorities making an inspection of the internal sanitary arrangements of the Belfast office, and taking such steps, as the necessities of the case may seem to require.
§ MR. HANBURYNo such representations have been received. When the accommodation was provided in 1887 the number of women employed was twenty-eight; it is now sixty-seven. The accommodation is substantially as described in the question, but a considerable enlargement of the Belfast Post Office, which has been for some time in progress, is approaching completion, and in a short time the women's retiring room will be much enlarged and improved, a new dining room will be opened in another part of the building, and the sanitary conveniences will be removed to the floor above. In the meanwhile there is no objection to the local sanitary authority making arrangements to inspect the post office premises.