§ MR. STEADMAN (Tower Hamlets, Stepney)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he is aware that several members of the male staff at Belfast Post Office, who have been continuously employed either as learners or acting sorting clerks and telegraphists for five years and upwards, still remain unappointed and are therefore suffering pecuniary loss by reason of their not receiving regular annual increments or pay whilst absent, sick; and, seeing that these officers hold Civil Service certificates, will he explain Why they were, after nearly four years' service, informed that before they could be appointed a certain qualification, the attainment of which has involved an additional attendance without pay of from, sixty to ninety minutes a day during the past 18 months, must be obtained in a branch of the service for which they were not originally employed, and into which it never was their intention to go, and have now been informed that they cannot be appointed to the vacancies at present existing until they have attained a further qualification, which, according to a memorandum of the telegraph superintendent at Belfast, will involve an extra attendance on the part of each of these officers of one hour daily without additional pay during the next 12 months, and for that period delay their appointments?
§ MR. HANBURYIt is the fact that there are several learners or acting sorting clerks and telegraphists at Belfast who are still unappointed after a service of four years or more, and who are consequently not in enjoyment of all the privileges granted to appointed officers. There are at present four vacancies available for these officers, but three of them have not reached the standard of qualification which is necessary to admit of their appointment at the salary their age and service would justify. They could be appointed at 12s. or 14s. a week, but for 18s. or more, an officer is required to be able to take sole charge of a circuit, and this the three officers referred to cannot do. It is expected they will be qualified in two or three months. The fourth officer is able to take charge of a 483 circuit, and his appointment will be proceeded with. It is more than two years since notice was given to these and all other learners that no appointments would in future be made, unless the officer were qualified both in postal and in telegraph work.