§ Mr. BENNETTasked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many naval officers are now attached to Admiralty headquarters as compared with pre-War; what is the cost of their salaries now paid collectively as compared with pre-War; and what, in each case, may be regarded as the Civil Service complement necessary to fulfil the duties arising in connection with such naval increase of headquarters' staff?
Mr. DAVIDSONThe particulars asked for in the first and second parts of the question are as follow:
Cost of Salaries, etc.£ Number of naval officers attached to Admiralty headquarters immediately before the War … 152 102,600
Present number: Naval officers … 253 Naval ratings … 8 — 261 288,000 As regards the last part of the question, I am afraid that to obtain an accurate figure would necessitate an expenditure of labour which I do not feel we should be justified in undertaking.
§ Mr. HARMSWORTHasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what was the standard number of hours worked per day as week by the civilian administra-
476Wair officers, airmen clerks, civil servants, temporary and other clerks employed at the Air Ministry for the years 1923–24 and 1924–25 and during the present year respectively?
§ Sir S. HOAREThe following table gives the information required by my hon. and gallant Friend:
tive, technical and clerical staffs of the Admiralty in 1914; and what are the corresponding numbers to-day?
Mr. DAVIDSONThe normal working day of Admiralty civilian staffs follows that prescribed for the civilian staff of the public service generally, and there is no substantial difference between the rules laid down in 1914 and those in force to-day. It would require an exhaustive and laborious research into attendance books to ascertain the actual numbers of hours worked by various groups of staffs in all the Department-; of the Admiralty. I have, however, seen the record of attendance beyond the normal hours of the higher officers of one of the Departments, which can be regarded as typical, and I find that between 1907 and the outbreak of war, most of the higher staff habitually worked long hours. Attendances for nine and 10 hours a day were common, and attendances for longer periods not-unusual.
Although attendance beyond the normal working day is still common with the more important officers, the conditions to-day admit of the working hours of the civilian staffs generally being confined within more reasonable limits than was the case before the War.