§ Mr. W. J. Brownasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that the Assistance Board proposes to discharge numbers of its clerical staff said to be redundant and for whom, during a period of over nine months, local offices of the Ministry of Labour have been unable to 2098W find reasonable alternative employment; that considerable overtime is being performed by the staffs in many of the offices in which these discharges are contemplated; and whether he will advise the Assistance Board that no discharges should take place unless and until alternative employment becomes available, whilst overtime is being performed in the offices from which it is proposed that the discharges should be made.
§ Mr. E. BevinI understand that the Assistance Board have reduced their staff by about 2,000 in the past 15 months. The clerks referred to by the hon. Member, who numbered 32, were among those redundant and had been retained merely owing to difficulties in finding other employment for them. I am informed that five of them have found other work since receiving a month's notice on 26th April. None of the clerks were employed in an office working more than the 51-hour week prescribed as standard for the Civil Service during the war.