§ Mr. T. SMITHasked the Home Secretary what are the present rates of pay for quasi-permanent and temporary prison officers; how many hours duty per day do they perform; and whether he can consider putting these officers on the basis of the eight-hour day and take some of the men from the Employment Exchanges to fill vacancies that would be created?
§ Sir J. SIMONThe rates of pay have recently been increased and are now, in the case of quasi-temporary officers, 53s. 6d. a week for men and 40s. 6d. for women, and in the case of temporary officers 8s. 4d, a day for men, and for women from 5s. 2d. to 6s. 4d. a day, according to locality. The hours of duty are as stated in the reply which I gave to a question by the hon. Member for West Islington on the 13th February last, and, as I then indicated, I do not think that a reduction of these hours could be made to contribute to the relief of the problem of unemployment.
§ Mr. T. SMITHasked the Home Secretary whether he will consider revising the regulation which prohibits prison officers from joining or rejoining the Territorial Army, especially where the men have gained substantial rank and are prepared to give up their annual 1765W holidays for Territorial work in which they are keenly interested and where their experience is of advantage to the Army?
§ Mr. LLOYDMy right hon. Friend regrets that for the reasons which have been fully explained in reply to previous questions, he is unable to adopt the hon. Member's suggestion.
§ Mr. T. SMITHasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the prison officers' representative board has again expressed serious dissatisfaction at the new scales of pay; and whether he will consider the matter further in order that the staff pay and conditions of service in the prisons and Broadmoor Asylum may be brought up nearer to a level with those of the police?
§ Mr. LLOYDMuch consideration was given to this question before the new scales of pay were settled and my right hon. Friend cannot agree to a reopening of the question. He believes that when the effect of the new scales is better understood, the advantages will be more widely realised by the officers.