83. Mr. MURRAY MACDONALDasked the Postmaster-General whether he will state precisely the present unit value of the work credited to the Falkirk Post Office for the purposes of classification; whether he will give particulars of the unit value of the work performed at the local telephone exchange; whether this work has recently been diverted from the aggregate calculation for the head office; and, if so, whether it was done with the object of keeping the figures below 240, and thus obviating the necessity for a re-classification?
§ The POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. Herbert Samuel)The present unit value of the work at Falkirk for purposes of classification is estimated at 249 units, according to the latest figures available. Of this total, the trunk telephone work performed at the local exchange represents about seven units. Other trunk work, representing thirty-six units, is performed at the Post Office. It is proposed to divert certain trunk work from Falkirk for the purpose of improving the service, and the effect of this diversion, which has no reference whatever to the question of classification, will be to reduce the number of units at work at Falkirk, in the near future, below the number required to warrant the higher classification.