§ 103. Mr. ALDENasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that married men of long service in connection with the Inland Revenue are being called to the Colours, while single men of military age are often being retained; whether he would see that equality of treatment is meted out to all men in the Department as far as possible irrespective of class; whether he is aware that more than 50 per cent. of the warehouse staff have already joined the Colours, and that in some cases the places of married men who 1556 have enlisted have been occupied by young single assistant clerks; and whether he will state who is the judge of whether the efficiency of the Department in its ordinary service will be affected by the loss of any individual man?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. McKinnon Wood)Whether particular officers or types of officer are required for the efficient conduct of public business is a question for the responsible heads of the Department concerned, who, in the case of the Inland Revenue, are the Commissioners of Inland Revenue. I am aware that the Commissioners have decided to grant permission to join His Majesty's Forces to all the warehousemen fit for active service. As my hon. Friend will appreciate, the test to be applied in deciding this matter is the nature of the work to be performed; and, as substitutes unfit for military service but quite suitable for the performance of the mechanical work of the warehousing staff are available, the Commissioners would not have felt justified in withholding the members of that staff from military service. No assistant clerks are employed as substitutes for warehousemen. I am certain that the Commissioners are not actuated by class considerations in reaching their decisions.