asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the difference in the number of hours worked by a full-time, and those worked by a part-time, chairman of a public board.

The amount of time worked by a part-time chairman varies with the appointment.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that I asked this question in view of the rather curious Answer given recently by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Power who, in defending the payment of a salary of £6,000 a year—which I understand is £250 a year more than the Chancellor of the Exchequer's—to this gentleman working part-time, said that the office of chairman is not part-time in the ordinary sense of the word? May we know what the ordinary sense of the word is and how this is extraordinary?

I anticipated the first part of that question. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Power gave a satisfactory answer. Full-time and part-time chairmen are both entirely responsible for the whole business of their boards, but in some posts it is realised that this responsibility can be properly discharged in less than a full working week. Salaries are calculated pro rata on the amount of time an individual is expected to have to devote to the business.