§ 33. Sir J. D. REESasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether efforts will be made to utilise the services of retrenched temporary members of the Land Valuation Department in other civil departments or in the Royal Engineers and other special military corps; and whether their names 1599 will be registered for preferential consideration as vacancies in Government service occur after the War, in consideration of the fact that, though temporary servants, they had grounds for expecting that their employment would be long continued or permanent in character?
§ Mr. McKENNAI would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on the 14th instant to a similar question put by the hon. Member for Chippenham.
§ 34. Mr. CURRIEasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the net yield of the Land Valuation Department, which has recently averaged annually a minus quantity of about half a million sterling, will be increased by economies recently announced to a minus quantity of about £150,000 per annum or, if not, what is the estimated expense to the taxpayer of keeping this Department alive for the year now current?
§ Mr. McKENNAI am unable to follow the calculations of the hon. Member. But, in so far as his question appears to be directed to the cost of the Valuation Office now that the original valuation has reached so advanced a stage, I understand from the Board of Inland Revenue that the diminution of the temporary staff is expected to result in a reduction of the Land Valuation Office Sub-heads AA to EE of the Inland Revenue Vote from approximately £675,000 for 1914–15 to approximately £507,900 for 1915–16 and to approximately £350,000 for 1916–17. The figures of £507,900 and £350,000 both include a provision of some £59,000 in respect of officers on military service.
§ Sir F. BANBURYWill the right hon. Gentleman draw the attention of the Financial Secretary to the Treasury to this opportunity for making economy?
§ 44. Mr. R. McNEILLasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the chief valuer recently issued a circular to superintending valuers of the Valuation Department instructing them to discourage enlistment in the Territorial Force by members of the staff, and earnestly requesting members of the staff to remain at their posts and proceed with their work; whether he is aware that members of the temporary staff have been officially warned that if they enlist it will involve the termination of their engage- 1600 ment in the Valuation Department; whether it is the policy of the Government to encourage employers to follow the example of the Government in refusing to promise re-employment to employés who join the Army; and whether he will discontinue the practice of discouraging recruiting in the Valuation Department?
§ Mr. McKENNAI would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Munitions on 20th April last in reply to a question by the hon. Member for Haggerston. I am causing a copy to be sent to him for convenience of reference.
110. Colonel ALAN SYKESasked the Secretary to the Treasury what considerations govern the dismissal of land valuers under the recent decision to dismiss the whole of the temporary staff; and whether in Liverpool (1) district unmarried men eligible for the Army are being retained, while married men ineligible for the Army have received notice of dismissal?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Montagu)I am informed by the Board of Inland Revenue that in reducing the valuation staff to a number equivalent to the authorised establishment the services of married men ineligible for the Army are being retained in preference to those of unmarried men eligible for the Army; exceptions to this general rule are occasionally inevitable where the utility of a younger man is markedly greater than that of an older man.
§ Mr. MONTAGUIf my hon. Friend will give me particulars of the case to which he refers, I will have the matter investigated at once.