§ MR. FIELD (Dublin, St. Patrick)To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is prepared to amend Clause IV. of the Order in Council of the 29th May, 1905, which provides for increased remuneration being given to junior second division clerks after six years' service, by making it permissible to reckon towards this period of six years any service rendered by assistant clerks prior to their promotion to the second division, having regard to the fact that such clerks must, under existing conditions, have a minimum permanent service of ten years before becoming eligible for an increase, which is primarily intended to benefit junior men with small salaries.
(Answered by Mr. Runciman.). I see no reason for making the alteration suggested by the hon. Member.
§ MR. FIELDTo ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that in putting into force the recent Order in Council as to the second division, members of that class who were formerly assistant clerks will receive only a small proportion of the increase of salary which is applicable to clerks whose entire service has teen in the second division; whether, by way of illustration, he will institute a comparison between the cases of any two clerks now in receipt of equal salaries say £100 per annum, one of whom would 318 receive, on acceptance of the new scheme, an increase of £15 a year as from 1st April next, and the other, with previous service as an assistant clerk, a much smaller sum, or should be have been promoted within a year no increase whatever; whether he will endeavour to obviate this distinction by arranging that all clerks of the second division now drawing similar salaries shall have equal increases if they accept the new conditions of service, or, in the alternative, that clerks who would under the present reading of the new scheme, receive no immediate benefit may receive a uniform addition to their salaries as compensation; and whether, in considering this question he will bear in mind that the principal value of the amended scheme lies in the fact that it gives an immediate increase to the majority of those who accept it as a set-off against a reduced maximum salary.
(Answered by Mr. Runciman.) I see no reason for making any exceptional arrangements in favour of clerks promoted to the second division from an inferior grade. The hon. Member should bear in mind that clerks now serving are free to choose whichever scheme they consider to be more advantageous to them.