§ Mr. TOUCHEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that 869 a circular was issued to the branch labour exchanges by the divisional officer of the London and South - Eastern Division stating that no members of the staff were to make application for increase of salary this year; will he say whether this is a contravention of the agreement made with the staff on appointment; and whether substantial increases have been given to a portion of the staff while others, although doing higher grade work, have received no increase?
Mr. BUXTONA circular was issued by the divisional officer stating that applications for an increase of salary from registration clerks should only be forwarded, except in special circumstances, in January of each year. This instruction did not apply to officers whose terms of engagement provided for an annual increment in their salary, and it contravened no agreement. It is obviously impossible to deal fairly with applications for increases of salary unless some rule is laid down which enables them to be considered together, so far as practicable, at fixed intervals. No doubt some of the staff have had advances and some not, but the claims of the whole staff were fully considered, and I have no reason to doubt that the proper increases have been given.