§ Mr. O'GRADYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that, in the absence on leave of a surveyor of taxes in a district in which there is no established officer among the surveyor's staff, the district is in the virtual charge of the unestablished temporary first clerk, the district surveyor merely attending for a few minutes each week to sign the more important papers; that for the rest of the time the unestablished temporary clerk opens all correspondence, including that relating to special assessments, checks the notices of charge by special commissioners with the assessments, posts these notices to the persons concerned, and reports to that effect to the special commissioners; that the unestablished temporary clerk has access, in the surveyor's absence, to every document in the office relating to special as well as ordinary assessments, has to interview all callers, and generally has to manage and oversee all business 1748W transacted in the surveyor's absence; and, if so, whether, in view of the nature of these duties, consideration will be given to the claim of these clerks for establishment and conditions of service similar to those of clerks of the second division of the Civil Service?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEIn a district where there is no established officer on the staff of the Surveyor of Taxes, leave of absence is granted to the surveyor only at seasons when the bulk of the confidential and responsible work can be held over until his return. Urgent cases arising during his absence are dealt with by the neighbouring surveyor, who attends as often as is necessary for this purpose and for the purpose of supervising the general routine work of the office. As regards special assessments, the normal practice is that only established clerks should deal with them, though it may, of course, happen that in a case of emergency an unestablished clerk, who like all clerks to Surveyors of Taxes, is sworn to secrecy, might be called upon to deal with such a matter. During the surveyor's absence an unestablished clerk would have access to all documents other than special assessments and confidential documents which the surveyor is required to keep locked up. In the same circumstances the unestablished clerk would certainly interview callers and, if he were able to, would give the information they desired; otherwise he would arrange for them to call again on the surveyor's return. Having regard to the nature of their duties and to the qualifications required of these unestablished clerks, who have not entered the service by such an examination as has been passed by all second division clerks, I do not consider that the claim referred to in the last part of the question is a good one.
§ Mr. O'GRADYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that, of 827 men clerks to surveyors of taxes 230 only are on the establishment, and that the only provision now existing for the superannuation of the unestablished clerks is that they are promoted to the established list as vacancies occur; whether he will state the number of such vacancies normally occurring during the next ten years; and whether, having regard to the number of such vacancies and to the number of clerks in each class, and to the ages of the unestablished clerks, he will consider the advisability of making more adequate provision for the superannuation of the latter?
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§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI am aware of the facts stated in the first part of the question. As regards the second part, the number of vacancies in the established classes normally occurring during the next ten years will be between sixty and seventy. As regards the third part, I am unable to advise any alteration of the existing terms of service.
§ Mr. O'GRADYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to the arrangement of the scales of pay of clerks to Surveyors of Taxes, Class D having a minimum salary of £52, an annual increment of £5 5s. and £6 10s., and a maximum of £78 and £104; Glass C a minimum of £78, an increment of £6 10s., and a maximum of £130; Class B a minimum of £78, an increment of £6 10s. and a maximum of £156; Class A a minimum of £104, an increment of £6 10s., and a maximum of £182; whether he is aware that, by reason of the overlapping of the maximum and minimum salaries, the majority of clerks are promoted from the lower to the higher classes without any immediate increase of pay; whether he is aware that many clerks refuse promotion when it is offered to them without increase of pay owing to their inability to meet the extra expenses which promotion usually entails, particularly in the cases of clerks transferred from country to London districts; will he state the object of the overlapping arrangements of the salaries; whether the same system applies to any other, and, if so, which officers in the Inland Revenue department; and will he, in view of the fact that the maximum salary attainable by the majority of clerks is £130, and that the highest possible maximum of £182 can only be reached after not less than twenty-one years' service, consider the desirability of rearranging the scales of pay on a basis more in accordance with the general acceptation and application of the term promotion, and more commensurate with the confidential and important duties which clerks to Surveyors of Taxes carry out?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI am aware of the arrangement of the scales of pay of clerks to Surveyors of Taxes and of the fact that, by reason of the overlapping of the scales, promotion does not necessarily mean an immediate increase of pay. Only in a small proportion of cases do clerks refuse promotion, and, while I cannot say that in no case the cause may be that mentioned by the hon. Member, I am1750W satisfied that in the great majority of cases the refusal is due to other causes. The overlapping system applies to Second Division clerks, minor staff officers, warehousemen, and stampers in the Inland Revenue Department. That the maximum of a class should not be limited by the minimum of the class above it is in the interests of those who may not be considered suitable for promotion. I am not satisfied that there are any grounds which would justify or make desirable an alteration of the system.