§ Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKasked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the conditions under which soldier clerks, deputy superintendent clerks, and officers are employed in record offices; whether he is aware that the pay received by soldier clerks and deputy superintendent clerks compares very unfavourably with that received by civilian male and female clerks; whether dissatisfaction exists among officers on account of the rates of pay and absence of prospects of promotion; and whether he will retire all officers over fifty-five years of age, and institute an inquiry into the organisation and conditions of the Army record branch of the Service?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI am informed that the pay and allowances of soldier clerks and military deputy superintending clerks employed in record offices compare favourably with the rates of pay of civilian 1493W clerks. In addition to pay and allowances, all military personnel of record offices receive uniform, and are in receipt of the bonus authorised by Army Order in January last. The pay of civilian clerks is based on standard rates prevailing in the area in which each record office is situated.
I am not aware that dissatisfaction exists among the officers on account of the rates of pay and absence of promotion prospects, and according to my information there is no ground for any general dissatisfaction on this account. I understand that no officer is employed in a record office without his consent, and the conditions of pay and service are fully explained to all officers. There is no intention of retiring all officers over fifty-five years of age, and at the present time, when the record offices are feeling the heavy strain of demobilisation, any sweeping change of this nature would be most inadvisable. I do not think the situation calls for any such inquiry as my Noble Friend suggests.