§ Mr. LANSBURYasked the Post master-General, whether, having regard to the number of patronage appointments which are being made to various departments of the Civil Service, he is considering the possibility of transferring to some of these appointments the surplus supplementary third-class clerks in departments of the Post Office, other than the secretary's office; whether, seeing that that surplus supplementary staff was created as a result of the report of a departmental committee, he will say what steps are being taken to reduce the various establishments to the authorised numbers; whether the surplus supplementary staff is awaiting with anxiety information regarding its ultimate disposal; and if he will state the amount of saving which it is anticipated will result in each Department when the staffs have been reduced to the numbers authorised in the revision following the report of the Departmental Committee?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe question of the disposal of the redundant Clerks referred to is engaging my attention, together with the representations which have been made to me on the subject by the officers affected; but I am not at present in a position to state what measures will be taken to reduce the establishments to the authorised numbers. The estimated savings when the revisions have been fully carried out are as follows:—
| Central Telegraph Office | … | £860 |
| Engineer-in-Chief's Office | … | 474 |
| Factories Department | … | 444 |
| Money Order Department | … | 1,558 |
| Returned Letter Office | … | 853 |