§ 24. Viscount HELMSLEYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to the existing discontent in the Excise branch of the Customs and Excise service; and if he will grant an independent inquiry into the cause of the discontent by means of a select Committee or otherwise?
§ The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (Mr. Lloyd George)The terms of amalgamation of the Customs and Excise services were settled by a Committee, under the Chairmanship of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, after full inquiry and consideration extending over a period of eighteen months. Subsequently I gave careful consideration to the whole matter myself and rceived several deputations, and in May last I announced a number of liberal concessions. There can be no question that the settlement has conferred substantial improvements in the scales of pay and conditions of service. Complaints on various points have been brought to my notice, but this is of course, to be expected with every settlement, and I have seen nothing that would justify the further inquiry now suggested.
§ 25. Mr. BARNSTONasked, seeing that the number of unattached surveyors of Excise origin is dwindling rapidly, when examinations will be resumed; and how many officers of Excise origin are likely to be called to the first examination?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEAs regards the date of the first examination I must refer the hon. Member to my answer to a question addressed to me by the hon. and gallant Member for St. Albans on the 13th instant on this subject. The number of officers, whether of Customs or Excise origin who may compete at the examination cannot be stated at present.
§ 26. Mr. BARNSTONasked whether certain late first-class examining officers of Customs have been appointed surveyors of Customs and Excise and placed in charge of Excise districts; whether there is any record of their being unable to perform the work of the districts in which they have officiated; and whether they have in any instance sought help from the officers they supervise in regard to the work of the district?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGECertain officers, late first-class examining officers of 835 Customs, have been appointed to be unattached surveyors of Customs and Excise, and in that capacity they take temporary charge of surveyors' districts, with Customs or Excise work, as required. The collectors, under whom these unattached surveyors have served, and who are responsible to the Board for the conduct of business, report in satisfactory terms as to the manner in which their duties have been performed.