§ Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if it is a fact that the Dundrum Asylum staff are employed on duty nearly 14 hours a day, as compared with a working week of six days; if he is aware that there is not an asylum staff, State or district, in the United Kingdom treated like that of Dundrum, both as regards hours of duty and general conditions of service; whether, if the staff is bound to work more than 48 hours per week, he will see that they get paid for overtime, as is done in the prison service; as the ration allowance is part of the attendants' salary, will he also see that they are compensated in cash when on leave or pass; will the promise of the Treasury, as far back as 3rd March last, to put the Dundrum staff on the same basis as the Broadmoor staff as regards pay and conditions of service be carried into effect without any more delay; is he aware that the local authority at Dublin Castle has recommended that attendants with over 20 years' service be paid their maximum pay as from 18th September, 1918, and no action has yet been taken; and if steps are being taken to apply the Whitley Council war bonus award for the Civil Service from 1st March last?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODThe Dundrum Asylum staff have a normal working week of seven days, and their average hours of duty are 12 per day. The staff has recently been increased in order to reduce the number of hours worked, and when the effect of this increase can be gauged, the staffing arrangements will be again reviewed. The pay and conditions of service at Dundrum are better than2262W those in the district asylums, though the hours of work are longer, a reduction having been recently made in the district asylums. The question of payment for overtime will be considered when the assimilation proposals are finally settled. As regards these proposals and the increased war bonus payments, I would refer the hon. Member to the replies given by me to the hon. Member for Went-worth (Mr. Hirst) on the 26th October, and to the hon. Member for Clitheroe (Mr. Alfred Davies) on the 9th instant. These assimilation proposals will dispose of all question in regard to ration allowance, and in the new scales of pay previous service will decide the point of entry into the scale.