§ 67. Mr. ROBERT M'LARENasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he can explain why £l038 was expended in extra remuneration for the year ending 31st March, 1918, to various clerks in the Home Office for work performed out of office hours; why one clerk with salary beginning at £160 and increasing to £200 had £139 4s. for said work; and will he state at what hour these clerks begin work in the morning and finish in the evening, what times are allowed for meals, and what are the average number of hours worked weekly?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Shortt)The normal office hours of the clerical staff are from ten a.m. to five p.m. with an interval of forty minutes for lunch. For substantial overtime beyond these hours payment is made to clerks in subordinate 773 positions. As a result of the great increase of work resulting from the War, of the release of men for the forces, and of the inexperience of the temporary clerks engaged as substitutes, a heavy strain fell on the small nucleus of trained officers who remained. The sum of £1,038 represents over 12,700 hours of overtime. The clerk who received £139 4s worked in the course of the year 1,856 hours of overtime, his average weekly hours of work being seventy-eight.