§ 24. Mr. HOAREasked whether the chairmanship of the Road Board is a full-time appointment; and, if this is so, how Sir George Gibb can have time for the duties of the chairmanship of the committee for inquiring into the Holt Committee Report?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThe statutory duties of the Chairman of the Road Board occupy his full time, but I hope that he may be able without undue inconvenience to perform the duties of Chairmanship of the Post Office Wages Committee, which he has been requested by the President of the Board of Trade to undertake.
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGECertainly. They are very onerous duties. At the same time, Civil servants very often are invited to assist Committees and Commissions of this sort. Unless they were these Committees would suffer a good deal.
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANWho will undertake his duties when he is obliged to attend the meetings?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGESurely the whole of his time will not be taken up by the Committee. He will be able to attend to the work of the Board. I have made inquiries about that. It may involve overtime, but he will be able to do it.
§ Mr. HOAREWill not onerous duties be imposed on the Road Board with reference to accounts under the Revenue Bill, and, if so, how will this official find time, being Chairman of a very important Committee?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI hope the Committee will have reported before the duties cast on him by the Revenue Bill will begin.