HC Deb 16 February 1949 vol 461 cc1143-4
53. Mr. Chetwynd

asked the Minister of Food how many officials of his Department are in receipt of retaining fees from private firms.

Dr. Summerskill

Officers on loan to my Department from private firms undertake not to favour, or to exercise executive control of any food business, so there is no question of retaining fees in the accepted sense. But their previous employers may make up the difference between their official salaries and their previous salaries. I do not know in how many cases this is done.

Mr. Chetwynd

Is my right hon. Friend aware that this system has placed many of her officials in the very difficult position of having to serve two masters at the same time? Is she aware that it was recently reported in a newspaper that one of her officers had said that he was in receipt of a retaining fee of £300 a year to look after the interests of the Union Cold Storage Company? What action is her Department taking to end this system?

Dr. Summerskill

My hon. Friend must realise that when my Department was set up it was necessary to obtain at short notice men who were experienced in their own fields and therefore we asked various firms in the country which were highly respected for their work to allow us to have their officials to help us for a period. These men are, of course, temporary. In this case the man has served us very well for seven years. We have not had any reason to suspect that he has shown partiality to his former employers. I can assure my hon. Friend that we are now making the most careful inquiries and are asking this man to make a statement, and if we are not satisfied, we shall take appropriate action.

Mr. Osborne

Does this mean that the Government are paying sweated wages?