HC Deb 02 March 1891 vol 350 cc1927-8
MR. HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury if, having regard to the fact that Civil servants of the higher divisions who also serve Her Majesty in the Volunteer Force, are allowed to be absent with their several corps on the Saturday before Easter, without trenching on their annual leave, the same privilege cannot be extended to copyists who have only 12 days' leave, bearing in mind that otherwise their regiments will be wholly deprived of their services at Easter, while the Saturday office work is practically limited to three hours?

THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. JACKSON, Leeds, N.)

I think the hon. Member is under a misapprehension if he supposes that there is a general rule authorising Civil servants who are Volunteers to be absent with their several corps on the Saturday before Easter without trenching on their annual leave. The Treasury has promulgated no such rule, and there is no provision of the kind in the Orders in Council relating to the Civil Service. Nor has the Treasury received any representations on the subject, and I am, therefore, unable to take action in the sense indicated by the hon. Member.