HC Deb 11 November 1929 vol 231 cc1501-4
61. Mr. BROAD

asked the First Commissioner of Works how many persons, men and women, are directly employed by his Department in the work of maintenance, lighting, heating, and cleaning the various offices and other public buildings under his charge; how many of such persons are employed by con tractors from year to year, and thus be come permanently employed in the work of the Department through contractors; what are the terms on which such con tractors are paid; whether the holidays at present granted to employés doing the same work in the direct employment of the Department are granted to those employed through contractors; and whether it is his intention to abolish the contract system in regard to such works and employ directly the workers necessary for keeping offices, buildings, etc., in proper condition?

Mr. WILLIAM WHITELEY (Lord of the Treasury)

With my hon. Friend's permission, I propose to circulate the reply, which is necessarily somewhat long, in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the reply:

The number of persons directly employed in the work specified is at pre sent 2,306, of whom 382 are women. It is quite impossible to say how many persons are regularly employed in such work by contractors throughout the country, but the number of those regularly employed on day work by the maintenance contractor for London is approximately 1,300.

The terms upon which contractors are paid vary considerably; for work ordered as day work they are reimbursed the wages paid to the workmen for the time spent upon the Department's work plus a percentage; for materials or for work ordered as measured work they are paid at schedule prices plus the contract percentage; work under window cleaning and chimney sweeping contracts is paid for either on a priced schedule or by a lump sum for a specific periodical service.

Contractors are not required to grant holidays to the workmen employed by them on the Department's work unless it is the general practice of good employers in the trade concerned to grant such holidays. I am already in process of collecting the information necessary to enable me to decide whether, having regard to all the considerations, some of the work of the Department now executed under contract should be executed by direct labour, but I am not prepared to break existing contracts.

62. Mr. MATHERS

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether his attention has been called to the position of workers who are employed full time in the work of his Department in Edinburgh, but are not granted a week's annual holiday with pay owing to the fact that they are engaged through contractors; and how and when it is proposed to remedy this position?

Mr. WHITELEY

My right hon. Friend is unable to compel contractors to grant holidays to their employés, but he is considering whether the system of employing men on full-time work for the Department, through contractors, should be continued.

Mr. MATHERS

Is my hon. Friend aware that these two categories of men were put under the same conditions when enlisting in the Army, and will he use that as a means of bringing them together now, and so remedy this position?

Mr. WHITELEY

I will convey that to my right hon. Friend.

Mr. OLDFIELD

Would it not be possible, in cases where we must work

Number of Clerical Officers and Departmental Clerical Officers now serving in each of the following groups in the Customs and Excise Department.
Group. Total Number. Number with over 10 years established service.
Clerical Officers.
Secretaries' Office (including subsidiary clerical establishments). 154 15
Accountant and Comptroller-General's Office 310 41
Statistical Office 206 65
Departmental Clerical Officers.
Collectors' Offices 1,524 22
90. Mr. BROWN

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of clerical officers in the Department of His Majesty's Customs and Excise promoted from the Treasury class and the depart mental class during the period from 1st January, 1926, to the present time to the following grades, respectively, with under 10 years' established service, over 10 years and up to 15 years, over 15 years

by means of a contract, to insert a clause in the original contract covering the matter of a week's holiday to the employés of the contracting firm?

Mr. WHITELEY

That is the very thing that my right hon. Friend has under consideration.