§ Mr. WILKIEasked the Postmaster-General, whether female telephonists at Edinburgh are now listed for duties terminating at 9.15 p.m.; and whether, seeing that it has been found impracticable to carry out the suggestion of the Select Committee that females should not as a rule be employed after 8.15 p.m., he will state why the Select Committee's recommendation is not being carried out in this respect?
§ Mr. BUXTONIn the notice which I issued to the staff in February, 1908, I stated that, while I accepted the view expressed by the Committee that it is undesirable in general to employ the female staff on night duties, the question is one in which the individual circumstances of the office, the character of the neighbourhood, the means of locomotion, etc., must be taken into account in deciding on the hours of attendance. I am assured that the conditions at Edinburgh are favourable to the employment of women up to the hour mentioned, and therefore female telephonists at Edinburgh are listed for duties terminating at 9.15 p.m.