§ 61. Sir R. Glynasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that in certain Departments working under high pressure there is an abnormal amount of overtime being worked by all grades in the Civil Service, regular and temporary, and that break downs in health are becoming frequent; how many heads of Departments have reported these circumstances; and what steps does he propose to take to redress this state of affairs?
§ Captain CrookshankThe amount of overtime worked in certain Departments has been abnormal, although it has fortunately not so far occasioned frequent breakdowns in health. Departments are fully alive to the desirability of reducing regular overtime to reasonable limits and the Treasury has never encouraged excessive overtime as an alternative to the engagement of additional staff. It will, however, be appreciated that there is a definite limit to the rate at which new staff can be absorbed and that in certain cases accommodation problems may prevent as rapid an increase as would be desired.