§ 63. Mr. PIRIEasked the Postmaster-General whether, on or about the 5th instant, a notice was issued by the Post Office forbidding Post Office servants throughout the United Kingdom from holding any office, paid or unpaid, in any friendly society which is, or a separate section of which is, an approved society under the National Insurance Act; if so, if many friendly societies will be injuriously affected by this order in respect that they will be deprived of the benefit of the business abilities of Post Office servants at present connected with them; and whether, in the circumstances, he is prepared to have the order withdrawn or modified?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe notice to which the hon. Member refers applies only to persons employed on Post Office 479 work who have dealings with the public across the counter. I do not think that an officer who may have, in the course of his official duty, to issue insurance cards to insured persons should have an interest in any particular approved society. But in cases where Post Office servants held office in friendly societies before the Insurance Act came into force, and those friendly societies have now become approved societies for the purposes of the Act, the persons concerned will not be required to relinquish their offices unless public complaint or difficulty should arise.