§ 11. Mr. PENNEFATHERasked the President of the Board of Trade if he 15 will state the rate of wages paid per hour to extra men employed as watchers by the Board of Customs in Liverpool and the rate paid to established watchers; and, if any difference exists, will he explain the cause of the differentiation?
§ Mr. BALDWIN (Joint Financial Secretary to the Treasury)The extra men in question are outside labourers, hired on occasion as required at 4s. a day plus war bonus. Custom watchers are practically permanent employés, paid a weekly wage of 24s. a week plus war bonus, and are also eligible to receive three good conduct allowances of 1s. a week each after four, eight and twelve years' services respectively, as a recognition of long service. There is no reason to give similar allowances to extra men, as they are merely casual employés.
§ 12. Mr. PENNEFATHERasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the Liverpool Customs have given notice that, as from the 21st April last, charges for extra attendance given by watchers and extra men at the request of merchants and traders will be increased to 9d. per hour; if so, will he say how much of the 9d. goes into the pockets of the men themselves; and whether the Customs make a larger profit on the services of the extra men than they do on the services of the established men?
§ Mr. BALDWINThe overtime rate for extra men and watchers at Liverpool is 8d. per hour in each case. The reasons for charging merchants 9d. per hour were explained in my reply to a similar question put by the hon. Member for Blackburn on 30th May last.