§ Mr. HARRY LAWSONasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the disparity in pay between Customs officers and Excise officers is being accentuated, to the detriment of the former, by the delay in the publication of the Amalgamation Committee's Report; and whether he will give an assurance that the scale of pay, so far as Customs officers are concerned, will take effect as from 1st January, 1908, the approximate date of Board's admission that the existing classification had broken down?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEPending amalgamation, promotion in the two branches of the service is necessarily proceeding separately in the line of their existing classifications. The answer to the second part of the question is in the negative.
§ Mr. HARRY LAWSONasked whether any circumstances have arisen recently in connection with the proceedings of the Customs and Excise amalgamation inquiry necessitating the taking of further evidence by the committee; and, if so, when and from whom such further evidence will be taken?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe inquiry is not completely closed yet.