§ MR. STEADMAN (Tower Hamlets, Stepney)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster-General, whether the auxiliary postman, George Naylor, of Castleford (Yorkshire), who had, previous to the 9th July, 1899, served a full year as an assistant postman, but was reduced on that date through revision of duties, is entitled to annual leave for that period of assistant postman's service; and on what grounds the surveyor of his district, who has been applied to, refuses to grant it, seeing that Naylor had already been allowed to sign the leave sheet, and had the revision taken place a fortnight later, he would have actually taken his holidays.
§ MR. HANBURYThe auxiliary postman referred to was granted leave of absence in respect of the year ending 31st December last, because he was, during that period, acting as assistant postman with five hours' daily duty. The leave sheet for the current year was prepared early in the year, before the change of duties now made was sanctioned; and as the auxiliary postman is now performing only three hours' duty a day he is not entitled to leave.