§ 20. Mr. KELLYasked the Minister of Labour whether she has received any representations in favour of a revision of the regulations relating to payments to trade union representatives for attending courts of referees, boards of assessors, and trade boards, so that all work-peoples' representatives may be remunerated on a fixed basis, namely, the maximum at present allowed of 14s. per per day plus subsistence allowance, and thus render unnecessary the present declaration and the inquiries which are made at the works where representatives are employed; and whether she proposes to adopt this suggestion?
§ Miss BONDFIELDRepresentations on this subject have been received from time to time, but I am not satisfied, on my present information, that a case has been made out for such a change in the basis of allowances. I may add that I should be reluctant to take a step which would convert these allowances into a fixed fee for attendance, as distinct from compensation for loss of wages, since the value of the service rendered is largely dependent upon its being voluntary and unpaid.
§ Mr. KELLYIs that the right hon. Lady's conclusion, and is there no possibility of her reconsidering it?
§ Miss BONDFIELDI would not like to lay this down as the laws of the Medes and Persians, but it is my present opinion.