§ 69 and 70. Mr. MONTAGUEasked the Postmaster-General (1) how much it would cost to substitute the work of suitable women who might be promoted from temporary writing assistants and typists to the clerical office staff for the overtime now worked by the present clerical staff at the money order office at Holloway, the figure relating to a period of three months;
(2) in view of the fact that in the year ending 31st October, 1926, 71,000 hours' overtime were worked by clerical officers, mainly women, employed at the money order department, Holloway post office, the cost amounting to £6,480, and that many women are working upwards of 12 hours a week overtime, if he will consider the advisability of increasing the women clerical officer staff by the promotion of suitable writing assistants and typists and re-engaging demobilised temporary women clerks to perform the present duties of such promoted assistants and typists?
§ 77 and 78. Mr. R. MORRISONasked the Postmaster-General (1) how many hours overtime were worked in the Money Order Department during the past year, and at what cost;
(2) how many women clerical officers in the Money Order Department are at present working overtime; whether the work is of an emergency character; and, if not, whether it is proposed to increase the staff?
§ 79. Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCEasked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to the fact that in the year ending 31st October, 1926, 72,100 hours of overtime were worked in the Money Order Department at a cost in wages alone of £6,480; that, at the present time, a large number of women clerical officers are in sections where eight hours a week compulsory overtime is the rule, and that there is considerable opposition among the staff to this systematic overtime; and whether, in the interests of efficiency and smooth working, he is now prepared to consider an increase in the number of the women clerical officers by the promotion of some of the 80 writing assistants and typists officially classed as suitable for promotion and a re-engagement of some of the demobilised temporary women clerks pending the availability of permanent writing assistants for the forthcoming open competitions?
§ Viscount WOLMERThe figures and cost of overtime in the Department are approximately as stated in the questions; but I cannot give any accurate estimate in reply to Question 69. The total number of hours overtime worked by the women clerical officers in 1926 was 51,940 at a cost of £3,003. Authority has now been given to increase the staff so as to absorb abnormal overtime. Some of the posts for women clerical officers will be filled by the promotion, after trial on the superior duties, of officers now serving in the Money Order Department as writing assistants or typists, and the remainder by successful candidates in the open competition. The writing assistant staff will be reinforced as soon as recruits from a recent competition are available and, for the short interval before this occurs, it seems scarcely desirable to engage temporary clerks.
§ Mr. MONTAGUEIs it not a fact that 80 of these temporary women have been accepted as suitable already?
§ Viscount WOLMERYes, Sir, and some of these will be promoted.