§ Miss Fookesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the salary of a warden of a 17-bed hostel run by the probation and after-care service compares with the salary of a warden in similar circumstances employed by a voluntary organisation partly funded by his Department; and if he is satisfied with this comparison.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesSalaries of hostel wardens are not generally related to the size of the hostel. Wardens of approved probation or bail hostels are paid on salary scales within a range from £3,624 to £5,850 a year if they are probation officers, or from £3,585 to £5,136 if6W they are not. Salaries of wardens of grant-aided voluntary hostels, which range from £455 to £7,689 a year, are determined by the voluntary bodies and it is not for me to assess their adequacy. In any event, direct comparison is difficult. Some voluntary hostels, for example, are staffed by religious bodies whose members receive little or no salary; other wardens in the voluntary sector are allowed free board and lodging, which is reflected in their salaries. There are also differences in the roles of hostels varying from those which engage the skills of professional social work to those which simply provide supportive accommodation.