§ Mr. REMERasked the Minister of Labour whether he will give the cost, the number of cases, and the number of staff employed from May to November, 1919, the last seven months under the displaced civilian controller; and, in comparison, whether he will state the same figures covering the succeeding seven months when the Civil Liabilities Department was under the present ex-service officer controller?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI give the information asked for by my hon. Friend to cover the two periods, 1st May, 1919, to 30th November, 1919, and 1st December, 1919, to 30th June, 1920. The figures for the last few days of the latter period have 271W been estimated in order to complete the seven months.
As regard the numbers of cases dealt with the figures given are only in respect
— Approximate Cost. Number of Cases. Average Number of Staff during the Period. 1st May, 1919, to 30th November, 1919 £65,250 93,972 620 1st December, 1919, to 30th June, 1920 £77,000 102,050 639 The cost (£277,000) in the second period includes about £4,000 for increases in rates of War bonus and in the scales of pay for clerical staff as laid down by the Treasury over and above the rates in force in the first period. It also includes the salaries of 10 Assistant Commissioners at £300 per annum now abolished.
I ought to add that, since the middle of May, Treasury sanction has been obtained whereby the Department is now empowered to make grants to men beyond the normal period of one year from the date of demobilisation up to 31st December, 1920. And, further, the Department is under Regulations empowered to make grants to trainees to enable them to set up in businesses of their own in the trade for which they have been trained. Both these new duties add very materially to the work of the Department.
Since the reorganisation the whole staff has worked considerable overtime without extra payment in order to bring the work up to date.