§ 44. Sir GODFREY BARINGasked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether there are any employés of his Department twenty-three years of age and on full time earning less than 22s. a week; and whether he proposes, on the lines of the Post Office, to raise their wages to that amount?
§ Mr. W. BENNThere are twenty-seven male employés who receive less than 22s. a week. Of these, three are pensioner messengers who receive 21s. a week. It is not proposed to alter the rate. Three are labourers who are receiving the current rates of wages, twenty are employed in the Royal Parks and Osborne. Their rate of pay is now being considered by a Departmental Committee. The remaining case is that of a draughtsman temporarily engaged to do some tracing work.
§ Mr. ROBERT HARCOURTMay I ask whether the policy of taking these pensions into consideration and paying a less rate of wages does not tend to depress the normal rate of wages?
§ 60. Sir GODFREY BARINGasked the President of the Board of Trade whether there are any employés of the Board twenty-three years of age and on full time earning less than 22s. a week; and whether he proposes, on the lines of the Post Office, to raise their wages to that amount?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Burns)I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to a somewhat similar question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for the Blackfriars Division of Glasgow on 7th May last, of which I am sending him a copy.