HC Deb 16 July 1941 vol 373 c609W
Sir J. Lucas

asked the Minister of Information whether he is aware that 77 senior officers, in the Ministry proper, receive £ 1,000 a year or more, with a total staff of 2,300; whereas only 13 senior officers in the postal and telegraph censorship section of the Ministry receive £1,000 a year or more, with a total staff of 7,600; and why these latter officers are so badly paid compared with the former?

Mr. Cooper

I do not know on what basis the-figures given by my hon. and gallant Friend are calculated, but I cannot accept them as accurate. It is, however, the case that the proportion of officers who receive £1,000 or more is very much higher in the Ministry proper than in the postal and telegraph censorship. The reason is that the work of the former is largely administrative and technical, while the latter is executive in character, with large blocks of repetitive duties.

Mr. Lewis

asked the Minister of Information how many officials in his Department are, or were until recently, directors of the New Trading Company; and what positions in his Department are held by these officials?

Mr. Cooper

To the best of my knowledge no officials of the Ministry of Information are or have been directors of the New Trading Company