§ Mr. J. JONESasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the trustees of the British Museum, having failed to produce their agreement with the Corps of Commissionaires, the commissionaires employed on warding duties at the Museum hold that they come under Award A81 of 1920, like all those employás who were dealt with under Agreement A30, 1918; that on the 28th April, 1922, the trustees of the Museum by letter threatened the commissionaires with the loss of their situations if they left the Corps of Commissionaires; that the commissionaires, being employás of the State, resent this interference with their private relations with the Corps of Commissionaires; and whether he will give instructions that the threat in ques- 1052W tion shall be withdrawn and give an assurance that the commissionaires will be given the same rights and liberties as other unestablished State employás?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSIn reply to the first part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to his question on the same subject on the 10th May last, and I would at the same time draw his particular attention to the suggestion put forward in the last paragraph of that answer. With regard to the rest of the question, no threats have been employed and the trustees have not interfered in the private relations of the men with the Corps except in securing for them remissions of the contributions to which reference has been made in several previous answers.