§ Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the Irish Prison Officers' Representative Council has recently submitted to the Government, through the General Prisons Board, a number of grievances relative to the pay and allowances of the service generally, requesting that those grievances be forwarded for the consideration of the Arbitration and Conciliation Board for Civil Service employés; if so, and having regard to the fact that the Representative Council has not been able to have those grievances redressed by representing them to the General Prisons Board or the Treasury, will he now take immediate steps to have them sent forward to the Arbitration and Conciliation Board; and will he arrange that the Representative Council be given facilities to explain the grievances to that Board?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The officers' statement of grievances and their request to have them submitted to the Civil Service Arbitration Board are being inquired into without avoidable delay, and as soon as a decision is reached it will be communicated to the officers.