§ Mr. CHIOZZA MONEYasked the Secretary to the Treasury if his attention has been directed to the fact that officers of Excise have received no compensation in increased salary for the greatly increased cost of living which has taken place since the £250 maximum was arranged in the year 1894, the actual increases made having regard only to fresh duties placed upon them; whether he is aware that the cost of living has greatly increased since 1894, according to the price investigations of the Board of Trade; whether he is aware that several Continental Governments have increased the remuneration of Civil servants as special compensation for the rise of the cost of living in recent years; and whether he will make such increases in the scales of pay as shall have regard to this particular point apart from any considerations of actual increase in the real remuneration or the nature of duties performed?
§ Mr. MONTAGUThe present scale of salary, which only dates from 1912, was1778W fixed in consideration of all the circumstances of the case. The new scale represents a substantial improvement on the old, both in respect of annual increments and maximum salary—the latter being £50 higher—and I see no reason to revise it.