§ 44. Mr. Harold Daviesasked the Minister of Works what improvements have been made by him in the pay and allowances to his staff working in Vientiane since the hon. Member for Leek raised this question on 15th May 1959.
§ Lord John HopeThere is no Ministry of Works staff now serving in Vientiane.
§ Mr. DaviesIn view of the fact that there is no Ministry of Works staff serving there now it is obvious that the staff has completed the task which it was sent out there to do when I was there two years ago. Were the staff's conditions improved as was promised to me in 1959?
§ Lord John HopeThe hon. Member might be good enough to put a Question down about the present employment of the staff. That is quite different from the Question which he has now asked.
§ Mr. DaviesThat is not the point. Is the Minister aware that the House was promised that these people who were working in difficult conditions without air conditioning and were being paid poor allowances would be given some aid when I put the Question down in May, 1959? The simple question is: did they get that?
§ Lord John HopeYes, Sir.
§ Mr. DaviesWhy did I not have that answer in the first place?
§ Lord John HopeThe hon. Member is so short and brisk with his questions that I waited to be sure that he had asked the whole lot. The answer is that their pay and allowances were increased.
§ Mr. DaviesI thank the noble Lord.