§ 56. Mr. ORMSBY-GOREasked the Postmaster-General whether he has received complaints from the indoor staff of post offices in North Wales with regard to the existing holiday arrangements whereby the employés are compelled to take their holidays in the winter months; whether he is aware that at one office, containing a staff of six or seven, not one of these will get any summer holidays this year; and whether, with a view to economy, as well as to meet the wishes of the staff, the former practice will be reverted to whereby the holiday arrangements were made locally and the work made up by overtime, instead of by introducing a stranger unacquainted with the work of the office in question?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEI have no knowledge of the complaints referred to; but at some holiday resorts the heavy pressure of post office business during certain of the summer months renders it necessary to exclude these months from the period of holidays for the staff. The recent Select Committee remarked that it was obvious that Post Office servants at such resorts must take their holidays in the slack season. If, however, the hon. Member will give me the name of the office which he has in mind I will inquire into the arrangements and see whether they admit of improvement.
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the greatest grievances in this matter occur not at the post offices at summer resorts, but at inland offices where there is practically no tourist traffic?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEI am not aware of that. I am aware that there are certain inland places in the hon. Member's own country which are great holiday resorts.