§ VISCOUNT BURY (Birkenhead)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will make arrangements for granting to members of Volunteer Corps, employed in the Civil Service, the same opportunities for leave of absence for the purposes of attending camps of instruction or drills of their regiments as are extended by many employers of labour to their men?
§ SIR J. T. HIBBERTI am afraid that I cannot go beyond the answer given by the late Government on April 5, 1892, to a similar question as regards Easter. It was then pointed out that as the services of the gentlemen referred to are required by one employer—the State—in two different capacities, it was not possible to lay down a general rule such as the noble Lord desires; but it was added that heads of Departments would no doubt do their best to give reasonable facilities, subject always to the exigencies of the Public Service.