§ 23. Mr. T. WILLIAMSasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many persons have been found employment by the present Government on advisory committees, commissions and other bodies, including the Customs Department, and the annual cost of wages, salaries and other remuneration; and how many of the said employés will be entitled to pension rights?
§ Mr. COOPERCertain particulars as to the staffs employed in Government Departments, including the Department of Customs and Excise, as at the 1st April, 1934, will be found in the annual returns of staffs employed in Government Departments (Command Paper 4622) and of ex-Service men employed in Government Departments (Command Paper 4621), which have just been presented. The further information asked for in the question is not available and could not be collected without a disproportionate expenditure of time and labour, but if the hon. Member has any particular committee or commission in mind and will communicate with me, I will see if information can be obtained.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSIs the hon. Gentleman not aware that when he and his colleagues 1899 were on this side of the House they insisted on such information being provided by the Labour Government? Why cannot the present Government find that information now?
§ Mr. COOPERI have already explained that the information is not available.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSBut surely there must be available information as to how many commissions and committees have been established and how many people have been appointed? Would it not be comparatively easy to compile the information?
§ Mr. COOPERNo. It would involve a great deal of work and expense to collect the information. If there is any particular point on which the hon. Member wants information, it can be given.
§ Mr. BUCHANANSeeing that this information was in the main collected by the last Government at the request of the then Opposition, why should the present Government not be in a position to supply similar information?
§ Mr. COOPERI have nothing to add to the answer I have given. The collecting of the information would cause so much work and cost so much money that we do not think the money and the work would be justified.
§ Mr. BUCHANANWould the expense be any greater now than it was when the Financial Secretary's party insisted on it being obtained? Why should the responsible Opposition not be supplied with the figures as their predecessors were supplied with them by the Labour Government?
§ Mr. COOPERThe present Government are observing stricter economy than the Labour Government.
§ Major Sir ARCHIBALD SINCLAIRIs it because of the vast additions to the number of officials appointed by this Government?
§ Mr. COOPEROn the contrary, the number of officials has decreased considerably.