§ 12. Mr. BOWERMANasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether it is the practice to allow second division clerks two days' sick leave without requiring the production of a medical certificate, provided such absences on sick leave do not exceed in the aggregate seven days in the year; whether this practice was departed from recently in two instances in the General Register Office, Dublin; and, if so, will he inquire into these cases, and issue instructions that in future similar cases the general practice governing absences on sick leave shall be followed in the General Register Office as in other Departments?
§ Mr. ACLANDThe practice referred to does not debar heads of Departments from calling for such evidence of illness as they may think necessary in any particular case, and the Treasury would not feel justified in interfering with their discretion in the matter.