HC Deb 23 August 1916 vol 85 cc2666-7
39. Mr. W. THORNE

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the concessions recently granted to Customs watchers will not benefit any of these men in the Port of London beyond 1s. per week, that many of the London watchers will have to wait nearly three years before they receive any increase of pay, and that the out-port watchers will receive an immediate increase ranging from 3s. to 5s. a week; is he aware that Section XII. of the Report of the Committee on the Customs Waterguard Service did not have any connection with the watchers' claims, but refers to the claims for London port allowance put forward by the established waterguard officers who are employed on entirely different conditions as regards pay, promotion, and pension, and that paragraph (6) of Section XVI. of this Report refuses to the out-port watchers their request for the London scale of pay; and, in view of the recent Report of the Board of Trade that the food-purchasing power of £1 has been reduced to 12s. 1d. as compared with August, 1914, if he will reconsider the granting to London watchers an increase of pay equivalent to that given to the out-port watchers to meet the high rents and travelling expenses in London and this further increase in the cost of living?

Mr. McKENNA

I am aware of the facts stated in the first and second parts of the question, subject to the corrections that the immediate increase granted to the out-port watchers is 1s. to 4s. (not 3s. to 6s.) a week, and that Section XVI. (6) of the Report of the Customs Waterguard Committee expresses the view that "the conditions of service at Tilbury and Graves-end do not appear to differ from those prevailing at the out-ports generally," and contains no reference to the question of granting to out-port watchers generally the London scale of pay. With regard to the last part of the question, I fear that I can at present add nothing to my previous replies on the subject, but, as my hon. Friend is aware, the whole question of granting a war bonus to the lower-paid classes of Civil servants is under consideration.