§ Lord N. CRICHTON-STUARTasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, with reference to the adjustments of salary scales announced by him on 3rd May last to a deputation of Customs and Excise officials in consequence of the amalgamation of the Customs and Excise services, the Customs clerks of the first class are the only clerical grade in either the Customs or Excise branches who have not been granted the right of proceeding to the maximum salary of the next grade; whether the first-class principal Excise clerks who, as a class, had absolutely no prospects of proceeding beyond their existing scale had already been granted an increased maximum equivalent to that allowed the Customs clerks of the first class who had previously definite prospects of further advancement; whether he will state the reasons why the first-class clerks were omitted from all participation in the salary concessions announced on 3rd May last; and why, amongst all the various classes of clerks in both branches, they were thus singled out for the differential and inferior treatment of not being allowed to proceed to the maximum salary of the next grade?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI have nothing to add to my answer to the Noble Lord's question of the 24th ultimo on this subject.