§ 34. Mr. LANSBURYasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that during each week in May the number of hours overtime worked at the Poplar exchange exceeds the number of hours which would be worked during a normal week by an additional member of the staff; and what steps he intends to take to remedy the position?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of LABOUR (Mr. Betterton)This overtime was in the main attributable to extra work of a kind requiring some experience and arising only on two days of the week. The De- 622 partment, wherever practicable, always engages extra staff rather than resort to overtime.
§ Mr. LANSBURYWould it not be possible to allow someone on the staff to do this particular work, and take on someone to do the work which is not very important?
§ Mr. BETTERTONI can assure the hon. Member that we are constantly keeping in view the avoidance of overtime, because it is a thing we wish to avoid at all possible occasions. Until now, in consequence of the operation of the new Act which came into force about a month ago, it has been found impracticable to avoid rather an unusual amount 44 overtime for a limited period.
§ Mr. LANSBURYSurely the right hon. Gentleman can make some further inquiries? There are a very large number of reen capable of doing ordinary work and, notwithstanding this, during the whole month overtime has been worked.
§ Mr. BETTERTONYes, I will certainly look into this matter again if the hon. Member wishes me to do so, but I must point out that, according to my information, the overtime only arose on two days in the week and not every time as the hon. Member seems to think.