§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the Secretary to the Treasury why the war bonus recently granted of 4s. a week to females and 6s. a week for males to all employé s in Government Departments has not been extended to the temporary clerks in the Employment Exchanges; if he is aware that it was stated in an official circular letter three months ago that the claim of temporary employé s will be the subject of a later award; why nothing has since been done in the matter; and will he take steps to have the concession extended to this class of employés?
§ Mr. BALDWINThe claims of various classes of temporary employ és to the increased war bonus referred to in the first part of the question have been the subject of several further awards of the Conciliation and Arbitration Hoard, the claims being granted in some cases and rejected in others. The Treasury has extended the terms of these awards lo employ é s whose rates of remuneration and conditions of service are the same as those of the classes dealt with by the Board. There remain, however, a number of temporary classes engaged on a different basis, including the staff of the Employment Exchanges, and in these cases the Treasury has informed Departments that it is prepared to consider on their merits any proposals which may be necessary for granting such classes a proportionate increase of remuneration in so far as their present rates of pay, having regard to the circumstances of their employment, are not already equivalent to the rates of pay of the classes covered by the recent awards. The hon. Member will, I am sure, recognise the desirability of securing greater uniformity in the rates of remuneration paid by the different Departments.