HC Deb 27 June 1911 vol 27 cc398-400

Resolution reported, That it is expedient to authorise the Treasury—

  1. (a) to advance out of the Consolidated Fund such sums as may be necessary for paying the cash portion of the purchase money of the undertaking of the National Telephone Company, and a sum, not exceeding £4,000,000, for the further development of the telephonic system;
  2. (b) to issue terminable annuities or Exchequer Bonds for paying off that portion of the purchase money which is not payable in cash, and to borrow by means of terminable annuities for the purpose of providing the money necessary for any advance out of, or repayment to, the Consolidated Fund;
  3. (c) to provide for the payment of superannuation allowances to transferred officers out of moneys provided by Parliament, and for the payment of 399 terminable annuities and the principle of and interest on any Exchequer Bonds out of moneys provided by Parliament for Post Office services, and if those moneys are insufficient out of the Consolidated Fund."

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House doth agree with the Committee in the said Resolution."

Mr. CLYNES

This matter involves not only a large sum of money, which will in time no doubt be remunerative to the State, but also the position of many thousands of employés at present in the service of a private firm, and who will later become public servants. I wish to know whether, in connection with the conditions of transfer, the representatives of the Treasury or the Postmaster-General as the case may be would be prepared to receive representatives of the workers, and to consider with them such points as the workers may desire to put forward on this matter. I do not entertain any sense of grievance or complaint. I know that the Postmaster-General has ever shown a willingness to receive representations, but our experience shows us that while the chief of a Department may be personally well disposed towards those who have grievances to put forward, practice and custom have set up an enormous amount of what might be called disciplinary regulations which prevent him directly reaching those actually concerned. In other words, certain men can make representations only in certain quarters; they have not the freedom they would like to have to put their complaints directly before the chief of a. particular Department. We may anticipate that most of our business this Session will be very hurried, because of the enormous amount of work that still lies before us. Therefore I hope that some assurance will be conveyed to the employés on this point. I understand that they are organised in some few separate organisations, but for the purpose of this question of transfer they are all united in a joint committee. If an assurance could be given that the responsible authorities will be prepared to meet representatives of this joint committee on any important points that may arise, I think matters could be agreeably settled on both sides. If an answer cannot be given now I hope the representative of the Government will convey the purport of my request to the proper quarters.

Mr. GULLAND (Lord of the Treasury)

I am sorry the Postmaster-General is not in his place to give the hon. Member an answer. There will be full opportunity to raise the point when the Bill is under consideration, but without waiting for that I will certainly bring the matter to the attention of the Postmaster-General.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolution reported, "That it is expedient to make provision for other matters in connection with the transfer to the Postmaster-General of the property of the National Telephone Company."

Resolution agreed to.

Bill ordered to be brought in by Mr. Herbert Samuel, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Hobhouse, Captain Norton, and Mr. Gulland.