HC Deb 11 March 1948 vol 448 cc1415-6
54. Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when it is intended to terminate the appointment of Mr. S. C. Leslie as Chief Economic Information Officer.

The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Glenvil Hall)

There is no question of terminating this appointment at the present time.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that on 23rd June his right hon. Friend the Lord President of the Council sought to justify the payment to this gentleman of the same salary as that paid to the head of the Civil Service on the grounds that it was a purely temporary appointment, and how permanent does an appointment have to become before it ceases to be temporary?

Mr. Glenvil Hall

It becomes permanent when it is made permanent, and that has not been done.

Mr. W. J. Brown

Is the Financial Secretary aware that the figure at which this particular gentleman has been appointed, which is entirely outside the scale of standards of remuneration given even for highly placed civil servants, has caused a great deal of dissatisfaction throughout the whole range of the upper Civil Service, and will he bear that in mind?