§ 77. Mr. O'GRADYasked the Under-Secretary for War if he is aware that more than one hundred members of the Board of Education Office and British Museum are employed on overtime work in the Casualty Department of the War Office, Alexandra House, Kingsway, at the wage of 1s. 6d. per hour for twenty-four hours per week, and that the same work is performed by lady clerks and male clerks in the same department at half the scale paid to the Civil Service helpers; if the-majority of Civil servants who start to work 33 overtime at four o'clock each day in this Department are young, fit, and active men of military age, classified as fit for many of the categories now being called up to rejoin the Colours; why those men' are allowed to remain in civil employment, having regard to the fact that their work can easily be performed by ex-Service men, male clerks unfit for Army service, and lady clerks; if he is aware that temporary clerks, supervisors, and others over forty-one years of age who have worked with satisfaction since the establishment of the Casualty Department in Alexandra House and not classified for general service are being called up by the military authorities for military service; and whether any action will be taken to prevent such treatment of temporary civilian clerks over military age as against the privileges granted to Civil servants?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONOver 100 Civil servants from other offices are employed at Alexandra House on overtime. Only slightly over a third of those employed are drawing as much as 1s. 6d. per hour, and in such cases are entitled to it under the regulations governing the employment of the class of the Civil Service to which they belong. Some of the Civil servants on overtime are doing the same work as temporary clerks and lady clerks, but others are doing superior work. The majority of the Civil servants employed in this manner are over military age, medically rejected or discharged; none of the remainder are exempted from military service on the ground of their work at Alexandra House, but for the work done at their own offices. I believe some temporary clerks over forty-one are being called up under the Military Service Acts, and as they can be replaced by temporary clerks or by women, I do not propose to ask for their retention. I may point out that a temporary clerk holding a supervisory post cannot be replaced by a permanent civilian who is only working overtime. The Department is dealing with the Civil servants of this branch in precisely the same manner as the temporary clerks in the matter of military service.