§ 17. Mr. McENTEEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that the recently announced increases in the pay of civilian employés at His Majesty's Dockyard at Malta do not meet the claims of the staffs concerned; and, as it is still desired to refer the question to arbitration, whether he will cause instructions to be given for the 1236 immediate reference of the matter to the Civil Service arbitration tribunal?
§ Sir S. HOAREThe question of arbitration on the claim of the locally entered clerical staff is receiving active consideration.
§ 18. Mr. McENTEEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in view of the fact that his visit to the Mediterranean was necessary to ascertain that an increase in the rates of remuneration. of locally-entered clerical staffs at Malta was necessary, he will take steps to ensure that for the future the legitimate claims of staffs serving abroad can, by use of the machinery of the staff side of the departmental Whitley Council of the Admiralty, be considered and dealt with reasonably without delay?
§ Sir S. HOAREI see no reason to assume that the existing machinery for dealing with claims from local staffs in His Majesty's Naval establishments abroad is not competent to deal with such questions with no greater delay than may result from the nature of any particular question.
§ Mr. McENTEEIn view of the answer which the right hon. Gentleman gave last week as to the pay of employés at Malta having been increased, does he propose to make that increase date from the time when the application for arbitration was made?
§ Sir S. HOAREI should require notice of that question.
§ 75. Mr. McENTEEasked the Minister of Labour whether he has considered the request of the staff association concerned for the reference to the Civil Service arbitration tribunal of a claim on behalf of locally-entered clerical staffs employed in His Majesty's dockyard at Malta; whether he is aware that this is due to the inability of the association to secure an agreement with the Admiralty either as regards the pay of these staffs or the reference of their claim to arbitration; and whether he is prepared to place the conciliation machinery of his Department at the disposal of the Admiralty and the association in order to facilitate an agreement in respect of the matters in dispute or their reference to the appropriate arbitration tribunal of the Civil Service?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of LABOUR (Lieut.-Colonel Muirhead)I would refer the hon. Member to the answer on the same subject given to him to-day by my right hon. Friend the First Lord of the Admiralty, which states that he has the question of arbitration on this claim under active consideration. In these circumstances the second and third parts of the hon. Member's question do not arise.
§ Mr. McENTEEIs the hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that this case has been under active consideration for the past four months?