HC Deb 30 April 1914 vol 61 cc1869-70W
Mr. EDWARD STRAUSS

asked the Secretary to the Treasury the number of Customs watchers at present employed in the Port of London, and the total amount of the overtime paid to the London watchers for the three months of October, November, and December, 1912, and for the corresponding three months in 1913?

Mr. MONTAGU

The number of watchers at present employed in the Port of London is 450. The figures of overtime pay requested are not available, and their preparation would involve a good deal of labour, and in any case they would not be properly comparable, as the amount of overtime work and the number of watchers employed—factors upon which the aggregate amount of pay depends—are not constant, but varying factors.

Major ARCHER-SHEE

asked the Secretary to the Treasury what is the number, for the three years ended March 31st, 1914, of retired members of the Army, Navy, and Police, respectively, whose names have been placed on the list of applicants for the situation of watcher in the Customs and Excise Department; and the number appointed from each of those services during the same period?

Mr. MONTAGU

The lists of applicants for the situation of watcher are kept locally at ports where watchers are employed, and the information requested in the first part of the question is, therefore,' not readily available. Many watchers register for employment at more than one port, and to give the information asked for would mean a scrutiny of hundreds of names to eliminate those who had thus duplicated registration. The answer to the second part of the question is Army 25, Navy 130, Police 11.

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