Clause 1. — (the National Steel Corporation.)

Part of Bill Presented – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 23 January 1967.

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Photo of Sir Spencer Summers Sir Spencer Summers , Aylesbury 12:00, 23 January 1967

I want to register an entirely different view from that expressed by the Parliamentary Secretary as to what it is appropriate to do with a salary received by a part-time member of the Board of the Corporation who happens simultaneously to be a full-time member of another Corporation.

The implication of the Minister's statement that the handing back of the salary would mean that the net expense was not increased is that two members of the Corporation, one of whom is responsible alone for his position on the Corporation, the other of whom has in addition outside responsibilities, should be paid an identical sum because presumably they are paid by the hour and, however many responsibilities a person may have, he cannot justify earning a greater sum than that prescribed, because of the number of hours in the day or the week, or the month, or whatever it may be.

It is wrong to argue that the additional responsibilities a person carries by being put on another Corporation—whether for good reasons or bad reasons is beside the point—do not warrant additional remuneration to him in view of the added responsibilities he carries and in view of the added risk to his reputation if things go wrong. It is not a question of how much a man's time per week is worth. I hope that, whatever may be the outcome of the Amendment, the point of view will be accepted that those with additional responsibilities should have them recognised, because of the risk to their reputation and the added responsibilities they carry.