§ MR. LOUGH (Islington, W.)To ask the Postmaster-General whether a number of temporary hands of the Engineering Department, London, have been placed on the class of acting linemen for maintenance purposes, with an increase of three and a half hours work per week, without any increase of pay; and, if so, whether, seeing that these men are continuously employed, he will make the position an established one, with a reasonable increase of pay for the extra time thus imposed.
(Answered by Lord Stanley.) A large number of temporary hands have been given continuous employment since 1903 as "authorised maintenance" men. With few exceptions the hours of duty of these men have not been increased; and where it has been necessary to increase the hours of duty a proportionate increase has been made to the wages. I do not propose to convert their places into established situations; but they have been given certain privileges and many of them may become established linemen as vacancies occur.