§ 48. Mr. Hurdasked the Minister of Agriculture why stockmen employed by his Department at the Reading Cattle Breeding Centre are asked to sign a document agreeing that they will not be entitled to any payment during periods of sick leave, whereas it is the accepted custom in the agricultural industry for some payment to be made in these circumstances.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsStockmen at the Reading Cattle Breeding Centre are regarded as employees in a Government industrial establishment. In common with workers generally in such establishments, they have not hitherto been entitled to paid sick leave, but this matter is at present under consideration.
§ Mr. HurdWill the Minister look in kindly fashion at a particular case of hardship, which has arisen where the terms of employment under the Government have been less favourable than those under a private firm?
§ since the pre-war years in the same form as the statement recently published by the Department of Agriculture for Scotland.
§ The Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Thomas Williams)Yes, Sir. I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT the figures for England and Wales corresponding to lines, eight, 16 and 17 of the Scottish statement to which the hon. Member refers.
§ Mr. HurdWill this statement show a comparison of the present time and 1947 with pre-war years and also with the intervening years?
§ Mr. WilliamsI am hoping to publish more figures later on.
§ The following are the figures:
§ Mr. WilliamsThe hon. Member wrote a letter to me on the subject and the reply is almost on the way.