§ Mr. ANSTRUTHER-GRAYasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether 1755W his attention has been called to the fact that, according to the findings of the Stanhope Committee, the store warders staff in the Scottish prison service were awarded the same privileges as regards pay, etc., in 1923, as the English clerks and schoolmasters; that in 1930 the English grades of clerks and schoolmasters were assimilated into the clerical class, whilst this privilege was refused to the Scottish store warders; and whether, in view of the grievance which exists on this account among the store warders and the fact that the matter has been the subject of correspondence and representations for over 18 months, he will consider taking steps at an early date to submit this grievance to an impartial body for settlement?
§ Sir G. COLLINSI am aware that on the recommendation of the Stanhope Committee in 1923 the practice was continued under which the store warders in the Scottish prisons were paid at the same rates as the clerks and schoolmasters in the English prisons. The comparison between the two classes is, however, subject to important qualifications which were set out in the reply given to my hon. Friend on 14th May; and it was because of the differences in conditions that the decision in 1930 to assimilate the clerks in the English prisons to the general clerical class of the Civil Service could not be applied to the store warders in the Scottish prisons. As indicated in the reply of 14th May above referred to, there is no provision for arbitration in such cases, and I am unable to accede to the suggestion in the last part of the question.