§ 40. Mr. BARNESasked the President of the Board of Trade if his attention has been drawn to the intimation of the Postmaster-General of his intention to raise the minimum wage of adult men servants of the Post Office to 22s. per week; if he can make a similar intimation in respect to adult men of the Department over which he presides; and if he will state how many men in his Department are now paid under 22s. per week?
Mr. ROBERTSONMy attention has been called to the intimation of my right hon. Friend the Postmaster-General to provide a wage of 22s. per week for all full-time male postal servants of twenty-three years of age and over whose incomes from the State are leas than that sum. There are in the service of the Board of Trade three male employés over twenty-three years of age whose weekly wages are at present less than 22s. a week. Two of these are on incremental scales rising to 30s. a week; the other is a man of seventy-nine who is temporarily employed on light work. The above are exclusive of pensioner messengers who are employed in the Board of Trade, as in other Departments, at 21s. a week in addition to their pensions.