§ Mr. JELLETTasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how long the question of reorganisation, reconstruction, regrading, or assimilation of the technical staff of the Estate Duty Office in Dublin has been engaging the attention of the Commissioners of the Treasury or the Commissioners of Inland Revenue; whether complaints as to the great delay in coming to a decision on the matter have been repeatedly made to the Treasury and to the Board of Inland Revenue by the Dublin staff; whether Mr. Bradford, an assistant secretary to the Board of Inland Revenue, stated, in a letter written in September last to the honorary secretary to the Reconstruction Committee in Dublin, that the Board hoped to come to a definite decision by the 1st October, 1921; whether, as a result of the delay referred to, three examiners in the Dublin Office, of 15½, 14, and 12½ years' service, respectively, in the First Division, Class II, who had been promoted and specially advanced for legal qualifications, are each in receipt of a salary of less than the initial salary of the senior clerical officers, who perform non-technical work in the same Department; and whether a definite undertaking will now be given that the Dublin Office will be reorganised before transfer to the Irish Government?
Mr. YOUNGThe Estate Duty Office, in eluding the branch offices in Edinburgh and Dublin, has been reorganised as from 1st April, 1919. As the staff were informed ill November, 1920, the question of any further adjustment in the light of subsequent developments was reserved for later consideration. It is hoped shortly to reach definite conclusions, but so far as the Irish staff is concerned, their effect will be for the consideration of the Irish Government Authorities.