§ 69. Mr. TURTONasked the hon. Baronet the Member for Ipswich, as chairman of the Kitchen Committee, how many of the present staff employed as waiters and waitresses in the Houses of Parliament are eligible to receive benefit from the levy of 1d. per person on all meals taken in the Members' and Strangers' Dining Rooms; and how much this levy is estimated to yield in the year?
§ Sir JOHN GANZONIEleven of the waiting staff of the House of Commons will be eligible to participate in the Pension Fund and on the basis of last year's business the levy is expected to yield £200.
§ Mr. TURTONWill the hon. Gentleman reconsider the question, in view of the fact that a large number of the waiting staff will never be eligible for this fund, although they have served the House in a temporary capacity for a long period of years?
§ Lieut.-Commander AGNEWCan the hon. Gentleman say whether these persons who are eligible contribute to the fund?
§ The only recent information in my possession is that which is contained in the official statistical publications of the countries concerned. The average retail prices of sugar given in these publications are shown in the following table. The prices relate to different descriptions of sugar, namely, lump sugar (sucre scié) in France, coarse crushed household sugar (gemahlter Haushaltszucker, melis) in Germany, and granulated sugar (zucchero cristallino) in Italy. The statistical authorities of the United States of America do not specify the kind of sugar to which the price quoted relates.
§ Sir J. GANZONINo, Sir, they do not contribute.