§ MR. KIMBER (Wandsworth)asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether 19 men of the Legacy Duty Office with considerable service have received notice that they will be retired on the 30th September next, if a scheme for the re-organization of that Office, which has been long under consideration and is now before the Treasury, should be adopted; whether their services could be utilized in any other branch of the Public Service: and, whether, in the interest of the efficiency of the Department, he will take steps to secure the immediate publication of the scheme in question?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. GOSCHEN) (St. George's, Hanover Square)Yes, Sir; such notice has been given. With regard to utilizing the services of the gentlemen to be retired, I may say generally that I am very anxious to establish, in concert with my Colleagues, a register of all retired men who are still more or less fit for service, with a view to their being re-employed, should opportunity offer, in other branches of public work. The difficulty, however, is that in most offices the numbers of men employed are already redundant, and extremely few new appointments are being made. In many Departments no new entries at all are made in the Upper Division. The details of the scheme cannot be made known until it has received the assent of the Treasury. I may say, however, that if adopted it will effect an immediate saving of about £6,500; and, even allowing for the difference between the pensions to be paid to the gentlemen compulsorily retired and those actually earned by them, there is still a net saving of more than £5,500.