HC Deb 22 January 1958 vol 580 cc1042-3
30. Mr. D. Jones

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the intentions of the Government with regard to making available to the British Transport Commission additional finance to meet the additional salaries recently awarded to both full-time and part-time members of the Commission.

Mr. Watkinson

No additional finance will be provided by the Government.

Mr. Jones

Are we, therefore, to assume that the doubling of the salaries of the part-time members of the Commission means that the additional cost is to be met by the Commission, whereas the statement of the ex-Chancellor of the Exchequer on 29th October is to apply to the wages grades on the railways?

Mr. Watkinson

Again, I think the hon. Member is a little muddled. These gentlemen who give their time in part-time service to the Commission were, as I think the hon. Member would agree, very much underpaid. They are now being paid more and that fits in entirely with Government policy which says that when pay increases are made, they must be swallowed within the organisation which gives them.

Mr. Shinwell

On a point of order. May we have your guidance, Mr. Speaker? Is it proper for a right hon. Gentleman on the Treasury Bench to accuse two hon. Members of being muddled? Is it not also improper to indulge in repetition?

Mr. Speaker

Whether the number of hon. Members alleged to be muddled is one or two cannot make any difference. I do not think it is out of order. Choice of language is a matter for hon. Members themselves so long as they keep within the rules of order.

Mr. Jones

I do not mind the right hon. Member telling me I am muddled, but the fact is that the part-time members of the British Transport Commission have had their emoluments doubled. What does the Minister propose to do about making more money available so that the ordinary wage earners on the railways can have some commensurate increase?