§ MR. KNOXI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether it is the practice that telegraph clerks commencing annual leave on Bank Holidays are 43 granted a compensatory day at the end of their holidays; whether this custom has been departed from in the case of Belfast telegraphists commencing holidays on 30th May (Whit Monday), and whether the reason for this departure from custom can be stated; and whether the Postmaster General will authorise that for the future, when Bank Holidays fall within the period of an officer's annual leave, the equivalent day shall be added to the holidays?
§ MR. HANBURYThe practice is to allow an extra day when a Bank Holiday occurs during annual leave. In the case of 10 telegraphists at Belfast whose annual leave began on Whit Monday it was found inconvenient to include the extra day in their annual leave, but an equivalent day will be allowed to them later on. There is no reason for issuing any fresh instructions, inasmuch as the privilege is well understood; but, like all official leave, this is subject to the exigencies of the service.