HC Deb 19 November 1931 vol 259 cc995-6
17. Mr. HICKS

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that public assistance committees are engaging temporary clerks at rates of pay which are considerably in excess of those paid to temporary civil servants; and whether, since the work is substantially the same as that done at the Ministry of Labour Employment Exchanges, he proposes to consider the readjustment of the pay of the latter type of employé?

Sir H. BETTERTON

I understand that the rates of pay of temporary staff engaged by Public Assistance Committees vary a good deal, according to local standards. I am not in a position to say generally how they compare with the

Men and Women* on the Registers of certain Employment Exchanges.
Employment Exchange 9th November, 1931. 10th November, 1930.
Men. Women. Total. Men. Women. Total.
High Wycombe … … 754 49 803 401 25 426
Slough† … … 1,566 179 1,745 904 126 1,030
Marl w … … 240 20 260 82 5 87
* Separate statistics for juveniles are not available. All juveniles in Buckinghamshire who register for employment are included in the returns f it the Aylesbury Juvenile Employment Bureau.
† The figures include 309 men at 9th November, 1931, and 368 at 10th November, 1930, from depressed areas who were attending the Training Centre.

15. Sir A. KNOX

asked the Minister of Labour the number of workers transferred from depressed areas to High Wycombe, Slough and Marlow, respectively, during the past two years; and whether this transference has now ceased?

Sir H. BETTERTON

Since the beginning of 1930, 490, 555 and 57 persons have been transferred from depressed areas to High Wycombe, Slough and Mar-low respectively. This total of 1,102 includes 609 men placed in State-aided schemes as a condition of grant. There

rates of pay of temporary clerks in the service of the Ministry, which are those common to the whole of Government service; nor can I agree that the work is substantially the same in the two cases. I may add that the scale of pay of Government temporary clerks is governed by agreement and a claim for an increase in certain cases is now before the Industrial Court.

Sir JOSEPH NALL

Does the right hon. Gentleman understand from this question that the Labour party desire to depress the standard of wages?