§ 45. Mr. D. Griffithsasked the Minister of Supply if, when persons declared redundant at one Royal Ordnance factory, through various domestic reasons cannot go to another more distant factory, he will arrange to pay them their superannution or a gratuity.
§ The Minister of Supply (Mr. Aubrey Jones)I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the reply given on 6th June, 1957, to a similar Question by the hon. Member for Newton (Mr. Lee), in which the position is fully explained. I would add that the subsistence allowances made to ease the difficulties of transfer have since been increased to 26s. a night for the first week, 18s. a night for the next three weeks and 63s. a week thereafter.
§ Mr. GriffithsMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman to look even further into this matter? What I am asking for is more than compensation. It is not a question of an element of supplementary payment. Why should not ordinary working people, men and women, on lower standards, have the same facilities as have the staff? Furthermore, is the right hon. Gentleman aware that years of service have been given in a considerable number of these cases, and that often, either through age or serious domestic troubles, they cannot be transferred miles away to another institution. Is it not fair to expect that they should hope to have the same treatment as the officials?
§ Mr. JonesI recognise that there may be such things as domestic difficulties, but the hon. Gentleman is mistaken in suggesting that such difficulties are not taken into account. There are hardship allowances which take them into account.