39. Captain CROOKSHANKasked the Secretary for Mines what are the functions of the 56 members of the staff of his Department described in his Estimates as temporary, in view of the fact that their grades vary from technical adviser to charwomen; and how soon will the services of all temporary staff cease?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERMore than half of these are messengers and charwomen who are classed as temporary, not because the work that they are doing is temporary, but because they are not established employes. The temporary staff of the Department doing temporary work falls into two classes. Seven are engaged in compiling a new catalogue of plans of abandoned mines, a task of the greatest importance to the safety of the miners, which I hope will be completed within the coming financial year. Their services will then no longer be required. Thirteen are still engaged on liquidation work arising out of the financial control of the coal industry; their numbers are gradually reduced as the work approaches completion, but I cannot yet say when it will be possible to dispense with all of them.