§ 42. Mr. Purbrickasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food the amount of overtime paid in his Department for the last month for which figures are available; and has any improvement been made in the peace-time system of checking overtime to ensure that the worker has fully worked 100 per cent. in his ordinary time before working overtime?
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food (Major Lloyd George)The latest monthly total is about £9,000 for the headquarters staff; exact figures are not available for the divisional and local food office staff, but the amount is estimated to be about £18,000. Every possible care is taken to ensure a full output from all hours worked.
§ Mr. PurbrickAre there no special measures taken now, in view of the large amount of overtime that is paid, to find better methods than were used in peacetime?
Major Lloyd GeorgeVery great care is taken, of course, and the amounts authorised are very carefully scrutinised.