§ MR. HOWELL (Bethnal Green, N.E.)I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether he has received repeated applications from Messrs. Mann and Harting, two Second Division clerks, to be re-transferred to the Savings Banks Department, from which they were removed in November last without cause for their removal being assigned; whether similar applications have been received from Messrs. Foord and Johnson, whose removal from the Department was stated to the House to be intended as a punishment in consequence of being suspected of communicating an official document to the Press; whether it is a fact that these two officers have received his assurance that he is satisfied that they were not responsible for such communication; if so, why they are still undergoing punishment for the alleged offence; and whether, having regard to the undermanned condition of the Department, the application of these officers to be re-instated is still refused?
§ MR. RAIKESI have received the application referred to, but do not think it would be in the interest of the Public Service to re-assign the officers in question to the Savings Bank. I have accepted the assurance given by Messrs. Foord and Johnson; but it is not my intention to employ them again in that branch of the Service.