§ 104. Mr. SNOWDENasked the Secretary to the Treasury if the watchers and extra men employed in the Customs and Excise Department are paid overtime at the rate of 6d. an hour; if a circular was issued last month by the Commissioners of Customs and Excise giving notice to merchants and traders that the charges for extra attendance given by watchers and extra men at the request of merchants and traders was increased from the 24th April from 8d. to 9d. per hour; and will he explain where the difference between the sum charged to the traders and that paid to the watchers and extra men goes?
§ Mr. S. BALDWIN (Joint Financial Secretary to the Treasury)Watchers are paid overtime at the rate of 8d. an hour, and any night attendance between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. is reckoned at the rate of six hours counting as seven for overtime purposes. Extra men are paid 6d. to 8d. an hour overtime, according to locality. The circular mentioned in the second part of the question was issued because the watchers' overtime rate has recently been raised from 7d. to 8d. an hour. The charge to the merchant for all grades of officials, including watchers, is higher than the overtime rate of the particular grade, in order to cover any incidental expense for night attendance, supervision, etc.
§ Mr. SNOWDENIs the hon. Gentleman aware that in Liverpool these extra men; 981 are being paid 6d. an hour overtime and the traders are charged 9d.? Does he mean to say that the incidental expenses make up the difference?
§ Mr. BALDWINIf the hon. Member will send me particulars of that case, I will make inquiries.