§ Mr. HAZLETONasked the Postmaster-General how many ledgers representing Irish post offices are kept in the Savings Bank Department of the General Post Office; how many ledger clerks are employed in connection with these, male and female, including superintending clerks; what is the total amount of their salaries; and why these accounts are not kept in Dublin and the necessry staff recruited from Ireland?
§ Mr. BUXTONSavings Bank business is transacted at 1,406 post offices in Ireland; and the ledger work is performed at the Savings Bank Department by 63 women clerks at an average cost for salaries of £5,400 per annum. It would be difficult to state separately the cost of supervision of this work, or of work other than ledger work which is performed in connection with these Savings Bank accounts. As I have before stated in this House, if the Irish Post Office Savings Bank work were transferred from London to Dublin it would be necessary to readvise every transaction which took place in one country in respect of an account opened in the other, and there would also be duplication of other work. The cost of supervision would be higher if the force were divided. The force of women clerks is already recruited from Ireland, as from other parts of the United Kingdom, by open-competition.