§ 79. Captain Sir R. BLADESasked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that 2224 advertisements appealing to employers are being issued by the Appointments Board, simply inviting employers to apply for the services of officers, but giving no indication of the qualifications of such officers as are available; and will he direct in future that advertisements, where possible, should give some indication of the qualifications of those whose services are available?
§ Mr. WARDLEI am aware that the advertisements issued by the Appointments Department of the Ministry of Labour simply invite applications from employers without any indication of the qualifications of the men whose services are available. The fact is that the qualifications of the men available are so varied that it would be impracticable, within the limits of a Press advertisement, to publish them in sufficient detail to be of any real use to employers; but the Department publishes and circulates lists of candidates with qualifications grouped as to professions and industries, and these are issued to such firms as notify vacancies, according to the nature of the vacancy. I will arrange for a sample list to be sent to the hon and gallant Member.
§ 81. Mr. SITCHasked how many applications for employment have been received by the Appointments Department of the Ministry since the date of the Armistice from officers and men and ex-officers and men, respectively; and what number of such applicants are known to have been placed since that date in employment, other than with public departments, through the agency of the Department with individuals or firms by whom they were employed prior to joining the forces, and with individuals or firms by whom they were not employed prior to joining the forces?
§ Mr. WARDLESince 11th November, 1918, 113,001 applications from serving and discharged officers and men have been received by the Appointments Department of the Ministry of Labour in respect of employment. This figure includes claims for priority of release to return to employment awaiting them, and applications for new employment to be found for them, and cannot be analysed so as to distinguish serving from discharged officers and men. As regards the second part of the question, as a result of applications by officers and men and by employers, about 165,000 release slips, accompanied by information as to the conditions of the 2225 employment awaiting them, have been issued by the Department. It is not possible to ascertain how many of these release slips have proved operative. Exclusive of 210 placed in Government Departments, 1,427 ex-officers and men are known to have been placed by the Department in new employment since 11th November, 1918. A number of officers failed to notify the Department when placed.
§ Major Earl WINTERTONMay I ask the hon. Gentleman if he is aware that in some cases applications by officers and men for employment in their former prewar employment have not been sent on to the employers in question until two or three months after the original application was made?
§ Mr. WARDLEI have no knowledge of that. If my Noble Friend will give me any instances of that kind, I will inquire into them at once.
§ Earl WINTERTONIs he aware that in two cases of two men whom I employed, six weeks after they entered my employment I received a letter from his Department asking me if I would employ them?