§ 39. Mr. BATEY (for Mr. THORNE)asked the Minister of Labour the salaries and emoluments of the new Commissioners of the Durham and Rotherham Public Assistance Committees, respectively; and whether they are retired civil servants?
Mr. HUDSONThe annual rates of salary of the Commissioners are Dur- 474 ham, First Commissioner, £1,200, Second and Third Commissioners, £700; Rotherham, £700. In addition, subsistence allowance when applicable is being paid within the usual scale, together with necessary travelling expenses incurred in the performance of official duties. The Second Commissioner in Durham has served in the Egyptian and Sudan Civil Service. The new Commissioner at Rotherham is a retired British civil servant.
§ Mr. BATEYAs the Government consider £700 each is sufficient for three Commissioners, why are they paying £1,200 to one of the other Commissioners, especially seeing that he was only paid £700 in Rotherham?
Mr. HUDSONI should have thought the hon. Member would have been the first to agree that Durham was possibly more important than Rotherham.
§ Mr. LAWSONIs the hon. Member aware that for the past year 360 people have been doing this work for nothing, not charging a single penny?
Mr. HUDSONYes, but unfortunately, owing to the fact that they were not carrying out their duties efficiently, we were compelled to appoint Commissioners.
§ Mr. LAWSONIs not this one of the very few areas in the country in which there was peace, and that means good government?
§ Mr. MAXTONWhat is the amount of the subsistence allowance referred to in the answer, per day or per week, or whatever it may be?
Mr. HUDSONI should like notice of that question, but I think, from memory, it is a maximum of £25 per week.
§ Mr. RHYS DAVIESTo which account are these salaries charged?
§ Mr. MORGAN JONESIs a means test applied to these gentlemen?