§ Mr. Wrigglesworthasked the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, what progress has been made to resolve the problems of grading, staffing and conditions of work in the Department of the Official Report.
§ Mr. BeithThe Commission is aware of the difficulties which have arisen in the Department of theOfficial Report over staffing levels, and in reaching agreement to revised grading and pay linkages.
Negotiations commenced yesterday (10 February) with representatives of Hansard editorial and reporting staff on new management proposals for dealing with these problems. It is hoped that these negotiations will lead to agreement with the one group of staff in the House with whom it has not so far been possible to reach a negotiated settlement based on recommendations made by the Board of Management following the Staff Inspector's recently completed grading review.
§ Mr. McWilliamasked the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, when the Official Report last had a full complement of 10 Committee Sub-Editors and 14 trained Reporters; what is the present complement; and how many are trainees.
§ Mr. BeithThe complement of 10 Committee Sub-Editors is regularly staffed at that level. The complement of Reporters is 17 with not more than 14 full Reporters for more than a short period. A Reporter is usually training for two years. On this basis the number of Reporters and Trainee Reporters on 1 April each year since 1979 is:
Reporter Trainee Reporter 1979 11 1 1980 7 10 1981 8 8 1982 7 6 1983 9 2 1984 10 5 1985 10 6 10 February 1986 10 8 It is the practice to make up the shortfall in experience and to cover for peak periods by employing freelance Reporters on a casual basis.