§ Mr. CHARLES DUNCANasked whether Customs assistants of seven and eight years' service are filling vacancies caused by the promotion of Excise assistants of about five years' service; and what steps, if any, are proposed to remedy this state of affairs, and what compensation is proposed in lieu of the actual loss of overtime emoluments in the case of transferred Customs assistants?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEPending the decision of the Committee now sitting under my chairmanship to decide the best mode of amalgamating the staffs of the two Services, it is necessary that each Service should assist the other as occasion requires. Certain Customs assistants are being employed in the place of Excise assistants, and some of them with seven or eight years' service may have taken the place of Excise assistants with five years' service, but I cannot admit that this constitutes any grievance. These Customs assistants are allowed the privilege of overtime pay under certain fixed rules.
§ Mr. CHARLES DUNCANasked what is the number and average length of service of Customs assistants promoted to the rank of second-class examining officers since 1st October, 1909, and the number and average length of service of Excise assistants promoted to the rank of second officer during the same period; what is the average increase of salary on promotion in each case; and what average increase or decrease in gross income (i.e., salary plus overtime emoluments) in the case of promoted Customs assistants?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEForty-five Customs assistants have been promoted since the date referred to; their average length of service was eight years, and their average increase of salary 17s. 9d. The average increase or decrease in their gross income could not be stated without an inquiry into each individual case, as the opportunities of earning overtime pay vary considerably at different ports. One hundred and forty-five assistants of Excise have been promoted since 1st October, 1909, with an average length of service of five years and three months. As their remuneration before promotion depends on whether they are fully employed or not, the increase in their salaries on promotion could only be ascertained by special inquiries, which would involve an amount of work which the result would scarcely justify.