§ MR. JAMES O'CONNOR (Wicklow, West)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether it is the practice that when the arrestment of a sorting clerk's increment is under consideration the officer affected is furnished with a written statement setting forth his irregularities and late attendances for the preceding twelve months, and invited to submit in reply thereto a reason or reasons why his increment should not be withheld; if so, will he state why the practice has been departed from in Glasgow, where three sorting clerks during the present month have, without any reason or reasons verbal or written being assigned, had their increments arrested; and whether steps will be taken so as to ensure in the future that every officer whose increment is being questioned shall be furnished prior to contemplated arrestment of increment with a written statement showing why the granting of his annual increase is being submitted to question
§ MR. HANBURYIn any case where an explanation seems necessary the officer is called upon to furnish one; but there are many cases where a certificate of approved conduct cannot be given in consequence of serious irregularity dealt with during the year, and then no further explanation is needed as the records speak for themselves. The cases at Glasgow to which the question is understood to refer were not cases of ordinary annual increments, but cases in which the question arose of allowing officers to pass the efficiency bar. The certificate that they did not comply with the conditions in regard to efficiency was sufficient in itself, and could not be affected by any explanation from the officers concerned.