§ 97. Mr. W. GRAHAMasked the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware that the staff of His Majesty's Commissary Office, Edinburgh, are dissatisfied with salaries and conditions of service, promotion and increase of salary being contingent upon a vacancy arising through the death or resignation of a member of the staff, and no pensions being available on retirement; whether numerous applications for increases of salary have been repeatedly refused, the grant for salaries having been increased by only £30 during the past 25 years, apart from a sum of £150 for two additional clerks, notwithstanding the enormous increase in the work of the department and the fact that this office remits a large surplus each year to His Majesty's Exchequer; and whether the committee being appointed to inquire into the manner in which the grievances of the sheriff clerks and their staffs should be redressed will also be authorised to review the case of His Majesty's Commissary Office and the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Civil Service?
§ The SOLICITOR-GENERAL for SCOTLAND (Mr. T. B. Morison)My right hon. Friend has had brought to his notice complaints by the staff of the Commissary Office of the nature referred to. Applications have been received from time to time from the Commissary Clerk for increased grants, and have been considered on their merits, regard being had to conditions obtaining in similar offices. My right hon. Friend is disposed, as advised, to agree with the suggestion that the position of the staff of the Commissary Office might be considered by the Committee referred to in the last part of the question, and he is in consultation with the Treasury on the subject.