§ SIR SEYMOUR KING (Hull, Central)To ask the Secretary of State 806 for India whether his attention has been directed to the fact that by a provisional order of the Accountant-General of Bengal of 10th June, 1901, the members of the Calcutta Customs Preventive Service were deprived of 25 per cent. of their overtime earnings, and that to an appeal to the Viceroy by 117 of the officers no reply was accorded, but the collector stated that if an average equal to that of the two preceding years was not realised by the officers the money deducted would be returned, but that this has not been done; and, if so, will he state what steps are contemplated to remedy this alleged grievance.
(Answered by Secretary Lord George Hamilton.) The general question of regulating payments for overtime work in the Customs Department in Calcutta and other Indian ports has for some time past been under the consideration of the Government of India. It was decided at one time to restrict such allowances to three-fourths of the fee receipts, on the ground that the officials had no claim to receive the whole of the fees charged by the Government to the public in respect of overtime work. It has, however, now been decided that whatever fees are levied shall in future be paid in full to the Customs staff, the scale of fees being kept as low as possible in order to relieve merchants and shipowners, so far as may be practicable, of charges respecting which complaints have been made. In giving effect to the new rules the Government of India will, no doubt, consider whether they should in any respect have retrospective effect.