§ MR. A. M. BROOKFIELD (Sussex, Rye)asked the First Lord of the Treasury whether Her Majesty's Government proposed to give effect to any of the recommendations of the Select Committee on Retired Soldiers' and Sailors' Employment, the Report of which was presented in 1895; whether he was aware that in the Post Office the number of Reserve and discharged soldiers with characters exemplary, very good, and good, for whom employment had been found, had fallen from 1,230 in 1892 to 543 in 1896, that in other Government Departments only 76 such appointments had been made during the past year; and whether the Government would consider the desirability of at once dealing comprehensively with the subject of finding more State employment for Reserve and discharged soldiers, especially in the Post Office?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THIS TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.The Government is quite alive to the importance of the subject raised by my hon. Friend, but there are certain difficulties in connection with carrying out his wishes to the fullest extent, one of them being that the Post Office authorities naturally feel that there should he a certain amount of promotion in the Service for those who have worked in 866 the Service. But the question shall have the fullest consideration.
§ MR. JOHN DILLON (Mayo, E.)Will the First Lord of the Treasury give the Irish Members some indication when the Irish Estimates will be taken after the Easter Recess? I would suggest May 14.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI will endeavour to arrange for May 14, if that meets with the general approval of hon. Gentlemen opposite.