§ 109. Mr. IRVINGasked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to the case of Mr. C. F. G. Staines, a sorting clerk and telegraphist at York, who is suffering from a serious illness admittedly due to military service; whether he is aware that Mr. Staines served during the South African War, and had a serious illness due to malaria and dysentery; that Mr. Staines subsequently served in the Royal Engineers Reserves at 6d. per day until August, 1914; that Mr. Staines went to France in August, 1914, with the 1st Army Corps and was in the Mons retreat, and served continuously until August, 1917, when he was discharged; and that he was taken ill the day after discharge, and has been on sick leave at intervals since that date; whether he is aware that the Post Office authorities have reduced his weekly wage from £4 to £2 because of his illness; and whether he has refused to modify the sick leave regulations even where the illness is known to be due to military service?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHUnder an Order in Council applicable to the whole Civil Service, sick pay is reduced to half after as much as six months' absence during a period of twelve months, and I have no power to make exceptions in individual cases. As regards the position of men invalided from the forces, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on the 10th instant by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury to the hon. Member for Twickenham.