§ Mr. Dodds-Parkerasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if, in view of the shortage of geologists in the Colonial Service, he will consider improving their pay and conditions to bring them in line with administrative officers.
Mr. Creech JonesThe present shortage of geologists is due to the interruption in the supply of young graduates caused by the war, and it is questionable whether an improvement of pay and conditions would provide a remedy. The whole question of salaries for scientific officers in the Colonial Service is at present under review, and new scales of salary have already been fixed in certain Colonies. I must not be regarded as accepting the contention that pay and conditions of Geologists are invariably inferior to those of adminstrative officers.