§ Mr. VIANTasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the overtime worked by the telephone engineers during the 12 months ended 20th November, 1936, in the towns of Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, and Bristol amounts to a total of 804,039 hours, and this, on the basis of a 48-hour week, should have given employment for an additional 1,350 men, and, as 1,000 men only were recruited, will he instruct his Department to speed up recruitment and thereby assist in mitigating the problem of unemployment?
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§ Sir W. WOMERSLEYOn the basis of a 48-hour week the 804,039 hours overtime worked would have given employment for about 350 men. The actual number of men recruited during the year in question was 1,000, as stated by the hon. Member. Further recruitment is proceeding as rapidly as possible and everything practicable is being done to reduce the amount of overtime.