§ 47. Sir J. BUTCHERasked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that temporary clerks in various Departments of the public service who never served in the recent War, and who are over 21, have been receiving 11s. a week, and are now receiving 13s. 6d. a week, more than temporary clerks under 21 who served in the War, and who are doing precisely the same work as the clerks over 21; why a man under 21 who served in the War should be less well paid for the same work than a man over 21 who never served; and whether he will take steps to remedy this state of things?
§ Mr. BALDWINThe arrangement under which the rate of pay of temporary male clerks (whether they served in the War or not) rises at certain ages was reached by agreement with the Staff Associations concerned, and I am not prepared to disturb it.
§ Sir J. BUTCHERShould not some advantage be given to those who have served in the War and have taken up 219 temporary clerkships under 21 over those who have never gone to the War at all?
§ Mr. BALDWINIt is a very complicated matter, but I think that the settlement that has been arrived at, after long discussion with the Staff Associations, must be maintained. If we begin to make exceptions we shall get into difficulty.