§ Mr. WIGNALLasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether since the last reductions in the rates of pay of the temporary staff in Government offices a large number of temporary women clerks have had their expenditure on fares considerably increased by being transferred from offices in Regent's Park to offices in Acton and from Customs and Excise and other offices to Kew under the workings of the substitution scheme; and 1719W whether this increase in the cost of living to a high proportion of London temporary women clerks will be taken into consideration in fixing upon a starting date or official cost of living figure for the base of the sliding scale scheme?
Mr. YOUNGI am aware that a number of women have been transferred from one office to another in the London area, but it does not appear to me that this consideration could fairly be allowed any considerable weight in negotiations affecting the graded rates of the entire staff of temporary clerks.