§ MR. KIMBER (Wandsworth)I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether there are retained in the Statistical Office of Her Majesty's Customs clerks of nearly 40 years' service, and between 50 and 60 years of age, who are willing to retire on the usual compensation terms; and whether, in view of the fact that the retirement of these clerks would give facilities for the promotion of meritorious redundant clerks in that office who have been waiting nearly 10 years for their promotion, and that the revision of the office has been pending for three years, during which time all promotion has been stopped, the Treasury will facilitate such a settlement of the office by consenting to the pensioning off, on suitable superannuation allowances, of those who may be willing to retire?
§ MR. JENNINGS (Stockport)Is it not the fact that a Royal Commission has absolutely condemned the further payment of compensation or "abolition" terms for retirement in order to secure preferment, and has urged that in future promotion should wait until vacancies occur?
§ MR. GOSCHENTo the second question put by the hon. Member for Stockport (Mr. Jennings) I have to reply in the affirmative. In answer to the hon. 327 Member for Wandsworth, I may say-that there are several clerks of long service and between 50 and 60 years of age in the Department, two of whom have applied for permission to retire on "compensation" terms. If the suggestion of the hon. Member that such officers should be pensioned off "on suitable superannuation terms" means the grant of "compensation" or "abolition "terms, I can only refer him to the answer I gave the other day explaining that the House had decided against "abolition" terms, and that the Royal Commission on Civil Establishments had taken the same view. The Government can, of course, only carry out this decision.