§ Mr. Sharpasked the Postmaster-General whether the office of the Post Office Savings Department at Manchester is still primarily employed in the issue of postwar credits to demobilised members of the Armed Forces; to what extent the reduction of this work has resulted in immediate reductions in the staff so employed; how many are now so employed; and what is the approximate weekly number of credits issued.
§ Mr. Wilfred PalingThe work of this office is now the management of the transactions on the Release Benefit accounts which have been opened at Manchester. As the work involved in setting up some 6,000,000 accounts fell off, the work of dealing with the heavy transactions on the accounts remaining open 191W grew and the staff has until recently been inadequate to avoid a substantial accumulation of arrears. The total staff of all grades is now 2,060 of whom only about 10 are engaged in setting up the 2,000 to 3,000 accounts now being opened each week.
§ Mr. Sharpasked the Postmaster-General if he will give details of the organisation of the Post Office Savings Department, indicating the location and main specialised functions of the 26 offices dispersed throughout the country; the number of staff employed at each; and what changes are contemplated.
SAVINGS BANK DIVISION. Location. Staff. Functions. London Area: Blythe Road, West Kensington … 5,097 Head Office—Ledger work, accounting and sorting work. Barker's, Kensington High Street … 164 Ledger and correspondence work. Wright's Lane, Kensington … 715 Ledger and correspondence work and publicity. Harrods, Brompton Road … 241 Sorting work. Lilly whites, Brompton Road … 183 Army Savings Ledgers. Beaufort Gardens … 58½ Polish Savings Section. Osterley … 542 Ledger work. Acton … 343 Kew … 668 Epsom … 267½ Paddenswick Road, Hammersmith … 18 Storage of documents. Avonmore Road, Hammersmith … 11 Manchester: 25, Church Street … 994 Release Benefits Issue and Ledger work. 46, Oldham Street … 353 43A, Lever Street … 219 54, Lever Street … 258 2 Harter Street … 244 Harrogate: Hutments, St. George's Road … 2,205½ Stock and Bond work. Annuity and Insurance work. Ledger work. Death Claims Branch for Savings Bank accounts and Stock on Post Office Register.
SAVINGS CERTIFICATE DIVISION. Location. Staff. Functions. London Area: Manor Gardens, Holloway … 2,728½ Main register and repayment work. Somerset Street, W.1 … 578 Correspondence work, including Death Claims. Cornwallis Road, Holloway … 12 Storage of documents. Brixton … 5½ Morecambe: Broadway Hotel … 214½ Accounting for and check of Savings Certificates issued. Some assistance on Release Benefits work. St. Winifred's Hotel … 68 Empress Hotel … 69 Grosvenor Hotel … 321 Marks & Spencers … 106 The figures of staff include all grades, part-time staff being reckoned at a half.
While it is obviously desirable to concentrate the staff in fewer buildings, the possibilities of doing so depend on whether alternative accommodation can be found. A temporary office building is being erected at Morecambe to house most of
192W
§ Mr. Wilfred PalingPrior to the war the headquarters work of the Post Office Savings Bank and the Post Office Register of Stocks was concentrated in Blythe Road, West Kensington, and that of Savings Certificates at Manor Gardens, Holloway. Owing to the vast expansion of the work and the additional task of dealing with the Release Benefits of members of the Forces, offices have had to be opened at various places where accommodation could be found and temporary staff made available. There are now 27 separate buildings involved, four of which are used only for storage of documents. The details are as follows:
the staff there. The Manchester office will disappear in the course of time and plans are in hand to house in London most of those of the evacuated staff at Harrogate who wish to return. On the long-term plan, it is proposed that the whole of the Savings Department shall be located in Sheffield.