§ Mr. R. YOUNGasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the night telephone attendant at Barmouth is responsible for the telephone service in that town between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. on week-days and all day on Sundays and that the authorised allowance for this work is 5s. 6d. per week, against which the Post Office place a charge of 6s. for rent, rates, and taxes, with the result that in pre-War figures the night telephone attendant pays 6d. a week for performing this work; and whether, seeing that a War bonus of 7s. 2d. has been granted in view of the increased cost of living, he will take steps to secure a more reasonable remuneration for the service which is thus rendered to the community?
§ Mr. PEASEOn a pre-War basis the night telephone attendant at Barmouth pays 6d. a week for residential accommodation which is worth fully 6s. a week, and his effective remuneration for the telephone attendance is therefore 5s. 6d. a week. On this a bonus of 7s. 2d. is now paid. The hours of attendance are as stated; but there are, as a rule, no calls between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., and the attendant's night's rest is therefore undisturbed, while the traffic on Sundays is also very light. The remuneration is based on the authorised scale.