§ Colonel WEDGWOODasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what are the numbers of Moslems, Jews, and Christians, respectively, employed by the Palestinian Government in any service, including railways, post office, police, education, gendarmerie, public works, sanitation, in the following grades, salary £200£400, £401£800, and over £800 a year?
§ Mr. AMERYThe following table shows the position on the 20th of January last:
926W
— Salaries between £E200 and £E400 a year. Salaries between £E401 and £E800 a year. Salaries over £E800 a year. Moslems 85 55 2 Christians 273 172 63 Jews 151 38 3
§ Colonel WEDGWOODasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether seeing that the salaries of teachers in Palestine are graded according to the higher cost of living in towns, he will state whether the wages of the police are also graded so that more Jews, used exclusively in the towns, may be attracted into the service; if they are not so graded will he explain why; and what proportion of the police force in the commissioned and uncommissioned ranks are now Jews?
§ Mr. AMERYThe right hon. and gallant Member is misinformed as to the grading of the salaries of teachers employed by the Government of Palestine. Their salaries are fixed solely in relation to their professional attainments wherever they may be stationed. The rates of pay offered for policemen are adequate to attract suitable men to the force and in my opinion there would he no justification for spending public money in paying higher rates than are necessary for this purpose. As regards the last, part of the question I am informed that in January last 12 per cent. of the officers and 12.1 per cent. of all other ranks in the Palestine police force were Jews.