§ Mr. DAWESasked the Postmaster-General whether at the Great Tower Street branch post office, in the East Central district, a lavatory directly connects with the room in the basement used as a dining, cooking and cloak-room by the staff; whether he is aware that the fitting in the basement of an electric fan has done 946W little to render the room more suitable for the above-mentioned purposes; and why no long lockers are provided at the branch as at other branches, for the use of the staff?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELIt is hardly the case that the lavatory directly connects with the retiring room: it is separated from it by a lobby and it is well ventilated. I find, however, that for some reason the door of the lavatory has recently been removed, and I have given instructions for it to be replaced at once. The electric fan is found to be fully effective for ventilation. The staff of this office numbers eight only, and it is not the practice to supply long lockers where so small a staff is employed.
§ Mr. DAWESasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that complaints have from time to time been made by the East Central branch of the Postal Telegraph Clerks Association that, in the East Central district, adequate provision is not made at offices staffed by females for substitutes to take the places of women absent through illness; whether he is aware that nervous troubles are very prevalent among the female staff in the district; and whether he will state the percentage of sick leave from nervous causes among the women from January, 1910, to to the present time?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELOn 3rd April last I informed the hon. Member, in answer to a question on this subject, that I was already in communication with the Treasury with a view to increasing the number of established officers for substitution purposes among the female counter clerks and telegraphists in the Eastern Central Districts. Since then authority has been received for an increase in staff and I feel satisfied that there is now no ground for complaint. Of the total amount of sick leave since January, 1910, among the officers referred to 16 per cent. was due to nervous causes.