§ Sir HENRY CRAIKasked the Prime Minister whether it could be arranged instead of filling up vacancies in the Civil Service which may occur during the War, at a time when many who are eligible for such appointments are engaged in military service, to accept, as far as possible, the services of retired Civil Servants, who are prepared to serve gratuitously in any subordinate capacity, and to leave those places vacant at the end of the War, for those who would otherwise be injured by having acted under a sense of patriotic duty?
§ The PRIME MINISTERSteps have been taken to ensure that persons who have been successful in an examination held by the Civil Service Commissioners, but are prevented from taking up an appointment in the Civil Service by military or naval obligations to which they were subject when they sat for the examination, shall have an appointment retained for them on their return to civil life.
The General Regulations for open competitions already contain a provision that candidates for Civil Service appointments shall be allowed to deduct from their age any time during which they may have been in receipt of Army pay, and certain further aspects of this question are under consideration.
A number of retired Civil servants are now giving their services in various Departments. Heads of Departments will doubtless consider carefully any further offers of assistance that they may receive.
§ Mr. GOLDSTONEWould the right hon. Gentleman consider whether the number of clerks at present out of work should not be taken into Government employment rather than that ex-Civil servants in receipt of pensions should thus diminish the amount and volume of employment?
§ The PRIME MINISTERPerhaps the hon. Member would give notice of that question.