§ MR. STEADMAN (Tower Hamlets, Stepney)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster-General, is he aware that it is very difficult for officers of the Postmen's Federation at Edinburgh to obtain special leave of absence to attend to business of the Federation elsewhere; whether the Controller at Edinburgh or the Secretary for Scotland has the power to grant leave without the consent of the Secretary in London; whether he is aware that a man who applied on the 31th March last for leave on the 7th and 8th April received no reply till the night of the 7th, one of the days asked for being then past; and, whether he will make inquiries into the ease.
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. HANBURY, Preston)The Postmaster-General is not aware of the great difficulty referred to. On the contrary, whenever special leave to attend the meetings of the Postmen's Federation is asked for it is allowed, provided no inconvenience is caused to the public service. Such applications are referred to headquarters in London for sanction. The postman Holmes who applied for special leave for the 7th and 8th ultimo to proceed to Glasgow to audit the accounts of the Postmen's Gazette, was given leave, but his application could not be dealt with immediately; and the authority was sent by telegraph on the 7th ultimo. I may point out also that the Easter holidays intervened.