§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAasked the Secretary of State for War whether he accepts the principle laid down by the Royal Commission on the Civil Service in its Fourth Report, issued in April, 1914, namely, that men employed on permanent work should be employed on a pensionable basis; and, if so, Will he say why his Department is proposing to limit the application of such principle to approximately one-third of the total post-War clerical complements of the out-station offices?
§ Captain KINGThe findings of the Royal Commission on this point are accepted by the Government as a matter of general principle. The reorganisation of the particular offices referred to in the 277W hon. Member's question provides in fact not only for an improved scheme of pay, but for a greatly increased measure of establishment for the clerical employés. Of the unestablished men now employed, all those who are successful at the recent qualifying examination for admission to established posts will be appointed to such posts cither in War Department establishments or elsewhere. The terms of the agreement made between His Majesty's Government and the Association of Ex-Service Civil Servants will be extended to those ex-service men in these offices who fail to qualify for the establishment.
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that, under a clerical reorganisation scheme for the out-station offices, the number of graded posts for Army Pay and Record Offices was stated by his Department to have been fixed some two or three months ago, but that the proposed complements have not yet been notified to the men affected; and will he undertake to promulgate detailed instructions to all concerned without further delay?
§ Captain KINGI cannot trace that any such statement as that alleged was made by the War Office. The complements for Record Offices as a whole have been notified to the Staff Side of the War Department Whitley Council and effect will be given to them as soon as certain administrative details have been settled. The complements for Pay Offices are in an advanced state of preparation.
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAfurther asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that hundreds of established clerks employed in the out-stations of his Department are in receipt of a total weekly remuneration of not more than 53s. per week, despite the fact that they have served in a clerical capacity in these offices for periods ranging from 12 to 20 years; and what steps he proposes to take to remedy this long-standing grievance?
§ Captain KINGI am aware that at Record Offices and certain other offices at out-stations there are a number of established clerks who are in receipt of about 53s. a week. Most of their past service has been in an unestablished capacity. These offices are being reorganised and278W the scales of pay of the new established grades are considerably in excess of those for the existing grades.
§ Mr. ATTLEEasked the Secretary of State for War (1) whether he is aware that adult male clerks are employed at the Eastern Command Headquarter Offices, Whitehall, on a salary scale with a maximum basic rate of pay of 32s. per week; and whether he proposes to apply the recommendation of the reorganisation sub-committee of the National Whitley Council to these clerical employés of his Department;
(2) whether he is aware that established clerks in the Southern Command headquarters office are employed on a weekly basic wage of 30s. per week; and whether he proposes to adjust the rates of pay of these men in accordance with the recommendations of the Report of the reorganisation sub-committee of the National Whitley Council, signed in February, 1920?
§ Captain KINGA certain number of clerks in Command Headquarter offices are in receipt of basic rates of 30s. and 32s. a week, or with the bonus 52s. 6d. and 56s. These offices like all other War Department outstation offices are being reorganised in accordance with the scheme of gradings and pay which is bring applied to all War Department outstation offices. This scheme conforms to the report of Reorganisation Committee of the National Whitley Council with modifications agreed to by the staff side of the War Office Whitley Council, so far as regards established posts. Inasmuch, however, as it is the policy of the War Office to employ ex-service men to the fullest extent possible, ex-service men are being employed in place of women writing assistants in the lowest grade of clerical work on an unestablished footing, at rates of pay based on those agreed upon for such men by the National Whitley Council.
§ Mr. BOWERMANasked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that, out of a total clerical staff of 16 at the Supply Reserve Depot, Deptford, his Department only propose to allot three permanent posts under the clerical reorganisation scheme; and will he give the matter his personal attention, with a view to carrying out in this case the recommendations 279W of the Royal Commission on the Civil Service, and also the recommendations of the reorganisation sub-committee of the National Whitley Council?
§ Captain KINGThe work of the Supply Reserve Depot at present only justifies three posts being included in the established grades. As regards the second and third parts of the question, I would refer the right hon. Member to the replies which I have given to-day to other questions.