§ Sir C. HENRYasked the Secretary to the Treasury if he can state the amount of overtime paid during the financial year 1915–16 to the clerical staffs of the different Departments; on what basis and on what rates the overtime is paid; and whether he will consider the desirability of discontinuing the payment of overtime for clerical work and of substituting some other form of remuneration when circumstances warrant?
Mr. McKINNON WOODIt would not be possible to prepare a return such as is suggested by the hon. Member without a506W disproportionate expenditure of labour. The lower grades of clerical employés are usually entitled to overtime payment at various rates based generally on their ordinary wages, for attendance after forty-two hours in the week. The Treasury is fully alive to the objections that may be raised against such payments, and in normal circumstances every effort is made to avoid them; but the pressure of work in connection with the War has made resort to overtime inevitable in most Departments; and, while other methods of remuneration are always considered where circumstances permit, I am not-aware of any alternative system which would be equally satisfactory as regards the ordinary staff.