43. Sir F. HALLasked the Secretary of State for War what was the total staff of the War Office, established and unestablished, respectively, before the War, and the number of women included in such figures; and the corresponding figures at the date of the Armistice and now?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLWith my hon. and gallant Friend's permission, I will circulate a detailed statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ The following is the statement referred to:
§ Staff of War Office (including Audit Offices), Chelsea Hospital (Secretary's
| Date. | Military | Civilian. | Total. | ||||||
| Male. | Female. | ||||||||
| Established. | Unestablished. | Total. | Established. | Unestablished. | Total. | ||||
| 1st Aug., 1914 | … | 298 | 391 | 1,104 | 1,495 | 59 | 101 | 160 | 1,953 |
| 11th Nov., 1918 | … | 3,525 | 335 | 5,359 | 5,664 | 48 | 13,042 | 13,090 | 22,279 |
| 1st Nov., 1919 | … | 1,307 | 375 | 4,995 | 5,370 | 44 | 4,265 | 4,309 | 10,986 |
Sir F. HALLDoes the right hon. Gentleman recognise the smallness of the reduction from 11th November, 1918, to 1st November, 1919 in the male staff, and will he say whether it is necessary to keep so many deputy-directors as there are at the War Office now, and whether they were necesary in pre-war times?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLAs I have pointed out, there has been a great reduction in the staff, but the correspondence in September from the public was 52 per cent. greater than at the height of the War.
§ Mr. BILLINGIs the right hon. Gentleman satisfied that the present staff is capable of dealing adequately with the correspondence and the applications which it receives from Members of the House and from the public?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI inquired into the hours of work of the staff. No greater amount of overtime can be admitted. I think the public must accept the principle of a slightly less prompt service, and that that is one of the inevitable consequences of a policy of redaction. I think that some of the correspondence, which is of an unnecessary character, might easily be dispensed with. Every effort will be made by the War Office staff, large or small, to serve the public to the best of their ability.
§ 49. Mr. MOSLEYasked the Prime Minister when the Ministry of National Service would vacate the Hotel Windsor; whether he was aware that the regional headquarters were still occupying large premises; and whether these premises could now be vacated, seeing that the areas which they controlled were closed down in February last?
§ Department), Royal Army Clothing Department (Clerical Establishment), and Prisoners of War Information Bureau:
§ The FIRST COMMISSIONER of WORKS (Sir Alfred Mond)The staff of forty-three in the Hotel Windsor who are engaged on winding-up the affairs of the Ministry of National Service hope to complete their work by the end of the financial year (March, 1920). They will probably have to be removed shortly from the Hotel Windsor to make room for the Coal Mines Department. The Ministry of National Service have now no regional headquarters staff, as these have all been transferred to the Ministry of Pensions.
§ Colonel ASHLEYAre we to understand that the Ministry of National service, which we thought was long ago dead and buried, is going to take another five months to wind up its affairs?
§ Sir A. MONDI think there is a small staff winding-up accounts.
§ Colonel ASHLEYWill the right hon. Gentleman take steps to refuse to give them any more accommodation?