§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, if it is his intention to see his undertaking of 7th December last in this House, that the desires of all of the class termed architectural assistants should be ascertained with a view to placing them upon the established list, carried into effect?
§ Mr. WEDGWOOD BENN (Lord of the Treasury)I beg to refer my hon. Friend to my reply of the 6th instant in answer to a similar question asked by him.
§ Mr. SNOWDENMay I ask the hon. Member if he is aware that the reply to which he refers me was no answer to my question at all?
§ Mr. WEDGWOOD BENNI can only refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I did give.
§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the hon. Gentleman whether up to and including the year 1903 the class termed architectural assistants, formerly senior draughtsmen, engaged in his Department, performed all the professional duties, and with the ability now expected, of the assistant architects, consisting of the charge of one or more contracts with the preparation of all the design and construction plans directly under the architects; or what class did perform these duties at this period, seeing that the total number of the class termed assistant architects numbered only eight, who were engaged in nearly every instance upon official routine, and that the amount of the architectural work in the Department was within 80 per cent, of the total amount at present, but that the total number now is forty-six; whether he is prepared to aver that the professional abilities exhibited in the exercise of these duties by the architectural assistants were not equal to those exhibited now by 1542 the class termed assistant architects; and why since that period numbers of junior draughtsmen have been established to take over these duties formerly satisfactorily performed, thus causing grave dissatisfaction to the architectural assistants?
§ Mr. WEDGWOOD BENNThe answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. In reply to the second part, the hon. Member is mistaken in his figures. There were thirty-one assistant architects in 1903. There are now forty-nine. Of temporary men there were about 120 in 1903, and there are about 216 now. As regards the third point, the architectural assistants have in the majority of cases had the opportunity of competing for permanent posts, and have either not availed themselves of it or have failed. As regards the last point, the establishment has since 1902 been recruited by competitive examination of members of the unestablished staff.
§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the hon. Gentleman whether the titles of the two classes engaged in his Department, architectural assistants and assistant architects, are upon professional grounds one and the same; that the professional diplomas held by both classes are equally distributed, the number of associates and licentiates of the Royal Institution of British Architects in the architectural assistants' class being twenty out of a total of fifty and that of the assistant architect class eighteen out of a total of forty-six; whether the services rendered by both these classes are one and the same; and that both these classes are equally certificated, the one class holding the technical certificate of the Commissioners of the Board of Works and the other class that of the Commissioners of the Civil Service; and will he therefore see that the Civil Service rule of equal reward for equal class conditions is in this case observed by establishment and remuneration?
§ Mr. WEDGWOOD BENNThere are nineteen Associates of the Royal Institute of British Architects among the assistant architects, and eleven among the architectural assistants. There are also two Licentiates among the former and twelve among the latter. The Associates and Licentiates are, of course, not upon the same footing. The answer to the third question is in the negative, and to the fourth that the two certificates are not in, any way equivalent.
§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the hon. Gentleman whether he will take the necessary steps to prevent the present established architects' staff, termed assistant architects, from being increased by the present method by members of the junior unestablished staff, termed draughtsmen, by examination or otherwise, until the services of every member of the present certificated senior unestablished staff, termed architectural assistants, has been fully utilised by establishment and remuneration as those in a similar professional position, classed as assistant architects?
§ Mr. WEDGWOOD BENNThe First Commissioner regrets that he is unable to give the undertaking required.
§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the hon. Gentleman whether the designs and the necessary constructive documents constituting the basis of the building contracts formerly in the sole charge of the class termed architectural assistants directly under the chief of the branch is being now taken from them, thus reducing their position to a subordinate one, and handed over to a class junior to them in age and service and termed assistant architects of the second class; that the resulting friction occasioned by this action is hampering the progress of the work of the Department; and will he give instructions that the orginal express conditions of service in this and other respects of the architectural assistants be reverted to?
§ Mr. WEDGWOOD BENNThe points raised in this question are practically dealt with in my previous replies. The growth of work has rendered necessary the increase of the permanent staff in order to relieve the architects by devolving a certain amount of the work on the assistant architects. Mo instance of friction hampering the progress of the work of the Department has been brought to the notice of the First Commissioner, and no instructions are needed for any change in the current procedure.