20. Mr. F. HALL (Dulwich)asked the Secretary to the Treasury if a petition was received in October from a number of girls employed in London in connection with the work of the National Health Insurance Commission as to their conditions of employment; whether such petition was acknowledged; if so, on what date and to whom; if the rate of pay of these girls, whose ages range from seventeen to nineteen years, is now us. a week; if, although engaged as sorters, a number of them are employed on filing, indexing, and clerical work; if girls of fourteen and fifteen years of age engaged for sorting work, subsequently to the employment of those signing the petition, are paid 14s. a week; if so, the reasons for this distinction; and if he will state the conditions on which girls are employed temporarily on national health insurance work as regards age, duties, rate of pay, office hours, payment for overtime, and tenure of employment, and how applicants are selected for employment, whether by examination, personal recommendation, or otherwise?
§ Mr. WEDGWOOD BENN (Lord of the Treasury)A petition was received as stated by the hon. Member in November 1594 last. The wages of the girls in question have since been increased, the maximum of the scale now being 14s. per week. Their ages range from fifteen to seventeen years. They were recruited through the agency of Labour Exchanges and engaged for an eight-hour day. They are not employed on overtime.