§ MR. MURPHY (Kerry, E.)To ask the Postmaster-General whether he has received any recommendation as to the payment for prolonged and extra duties of the postal and telegraph staff in the Houses of Parliament; and if he is prepared to make any arrangement to recompense these officials for their duties on the occasion of all-night sittings or extra hours.
§ (Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) The attendance of the staff employed at the House of Commons post office is necessarily somewhat irregular, but on the average the regular staff is probably not called upon to work more than forty-eight hours a week. Special privileges are accorded to them in the shape of partial exemption from duty on Saturdays and an extended annual leave, on the understanding that no special payment will usually be made on the occasion of specially long sittings. I may mention that I sanctioned a special addition to the annual leave of the post office staff in consideration of last year's autumn session.