§ 55. Mr. Levyasked the Minister of Supply the total staff and the annual cost in salaries of each of the controls set up by his Department?
§ Mr. BurginAs the reply contains a set of detailed figures, I will, with the permission of my hon. Friend, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the reply:
| MINISTRY OF SUPPLY. | ||
| Staff of Raw Materials Controls. | ||
| Control. | Total Number. | Salaries and Wages Approximate Annual cost. |
| £ | ||
| Alcohol, Molasses and Solvents. | 21 | 1,000 |
| Aluminium | 57 | 19,500 |
| Fertilisers | 13 | 5,000 |
| Flax | 46 | 16,500 |
| Hemp | 35 | 14,000 |
| Jute | 30 | 5,500 |
| Leather | 47 | 12,500 |
| Paper | 58 | 22,500 |
| Silk and Rayon | 5 | 900 |
| Sulphate of Ammonia | 10 | Nil. |
| Sulphuric Acid | 8 | 2,500 |
| Timber | 522 | 172,000 |
§ Notes.
§ 1. Figures have not been included for the Cotton, Iron and Steel, Non-Ferrous Metals and Wool Controls, as definitive arrangements for their staffing are still under consideration.
§ 2. The figures for the Timber Control exclude Department II (Home-grown Timber) which is mainly staffed by Civil Servants of the Forestry Commission in receipt of their normal salaries or wages.
§ 3. Some 40 persons included in the numbers shown are serving without remuneration.
§ 60. Mr. Edmund Harveyasked the Minister of Supply the total Civil Service staff of the Timber Controller, permanent or temporary; their salaries individually; and the total estimated or realised monthly expense of the Timber Controller's office?
Mr. BurgirtThe total staff of the Timber Control at a recent date was 778, made up of 522 in Departments 1, 3 and 4, and 256 in Department 2, which deals with home-grown timber. All are temporary staff except some 75 civil servants of the Forestry Commission, who are serving for whole or part time in Department 2. The present monthly cost of salaries and wages for the Control is approximately £20,000. I am placing in the Library of the House a list of the present personnel (except juniors) of Department 2, with their salaries, which will supplement the list regarding Departments 1, 3 and 4 already placed there in connection with the information given to the hon. Member for North Salford (Mr. Morris) on 19th October.
§ Sir P. HarrisWhat do these 700 people do; are they buying or selling, do they make entries, or how are they occupied?
§ Mr. BurginThey are dealing with one of the essential raw commodities of the country, timber; and their purchases run into scores of millions of pounds a year.
§ Mr. ThorneIs the right hon. Gentleman satisfied that the timber controllers are dealing fairly and squarely with the importers of pre-war days?
§ Mr. BurginI hope so. That is a very general question. The action of the Timber Controller, as of all other controllers, is constantly under review, and a member of the Supply Council, Sir Andrew Duncan, is chairman of all the controllers. I have every hope that all interests in timber, an essential commodity, are being properly and equitably looked after.