§ Mr. FINNEY asked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that negotiations with the Treasury on the claims of increased remuneration for temporary male and female clerks of the Civil Service resulted in an agreement which was signed on the 19th March last that an increased scale of salaries should be paid and made retrospective from the 1st of January, 1920; that repeated applications for payment have been made by the Civil Service Union and that, though replies from the representatives of the Ministry of Pensions endorsing the terms of the agreement and definitely stating the same to be applicable to the staffs of local pensions committees have been received, no satisfaction has been given and no increase granted; and whether he will cause inquiries to be made with a view to the increases awarded under the agreement being paid without further delay to the parties entitled to the same?
§ Major TRYON: The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The scales of pay authorised in the agreement referred to have been communicated 1254W to local committees, who have been asked to submit any proposals which they may desire to make for applying the new scales to their staffs. A considerable number of supplementary estimates have already been received and approved for payment of salaries on the increased scale as from the 1st January, 1920.