HC Deb 24 June 1920 vol 130 cc2356-7
53. Captain LOSEBY

asked the Prime Minister if he will state the anticipated number of vacancies in the permanent Civil Service in the current financial year and the proportion that it is intended to allot to ex-service men temporarily employed in the Civil Service?

The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Baldwin)

All Departments are at present revising their permanent establishments in the light of post-War requirements, and it is impossible to state at the moment what the number of permanent vacancies will be. As regards the appointment of ex-service men, I beg to refer to the answer given to the hon. and gallant Member for Chelsea on the 22nd June.

Captain LOSEBY

Will the Prime Minister consider the advisability of discontinuing the permanent examinations for the Civil Service until such time as all these temporary ex-service men who are competent are absorbed?

Sir S. HOARE

Has the Committee to inquire into this subject been already set up, and if not when will it be?

Mr. BALDWIN

I hope that it will set up immediately.

54. Captain LOSEBY

asked the Prime Minister to state the approximate number of Civil servants permanently employed under the age of 40 who did not serve overseas during the recent war and are in receipt of salaries of £800 per annum or more; and whether he will consider the advisability of replacing them by such ex-service men as would have occupied positions of equal responsibility if they had not been indispensable elsewhere?

Mr. BALDWIN

The collection of the information desired would not only involve a great amount of detailed labour, but would not in my opinion furnish any useful result. Every effort has been made and will continue to be made, both Departmentally and by special machinery of inter-departmental transfer, to secure that the interests of Civil servants are in no way prejudiced on account of their absence on military service.

Captain LOSEBY

Will the right hon. Gentleman not allow the House to decide as to the desirability or otherwise of this proposal? Does he not realise that many Members of this House think it is most important that information of this kind should be published?