§ Mr. VINCENT KENNEDYasked the right hon. Member for the Epping Divi- 143W sion, as Chairman of the Kitchen Committee, if he will state what the wages bill as administered by the Kitchen Committee has been for the years 1901 and 1902 and 1912 and 1913, giving the number employed on the staff for the last year of each decade, with the average wage paid to waiters employed permanently for the four years already named?
§ Colonel LOCKWOODThe reply is as follows:—
Refreshment Department, House of Commons. Comparison of Wages Bills.
Year. £ s. d. 1901. Short Session 4,456 2 10 1902. Coronation. £ 191 6 6 Autumn Session 5,563 3 7 5,754 10 1 1912. Autumn Session 6,061 13 6 1913. Short Session 5,637 19 2 In 1902 the staff numbered 79. In 1912 the staff numbered 95. Of these (including the Press Gallery) sixteen only are waiters, they are supplemented each evening at six o'clock by "extra waiters," the number of which varies from thirty to sixty, according to the business anticipated and the number of dinners downstairs on order.
There are no waiters employed permanently, the only waiters whose services are retained are the head waiters and smoking-room Waiters; others are dismissed at the end of each Session.
Their applications for employment are given preference over others when engagements are made for the ensuing Session, and some of them have been in our employ a number of Sessions.
Waiters are paid an average wage of 20s. per week, with food and beer or minerals four times a day.
The hours of duty are from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with intervals for rest, but half of the staff are allowed to go off duty at 9.30 on alternate nights.
On Friday, if the House adjourns at 5 p.m., the staff finish at 6 p.m.
On Saturday they finish at 1 p.m., and are not required again till Monday morning.
Waiters are provided with a livery waistcoat and buttons for their dress-coat.
The staff are paid full wages for the period of the Easter and Whitsun vacations.
144WExtra waiters engaged from 6 p.m. till about 9.30 p.m. receive 3s. 6d., and are provided with refreshment (6s. if engaged for luncheon and dinner).