§ 54. Sir S. HOAREasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many posts of caretaker in Government offices and buildings, namely, employment exchanges and local Inland Revenue offices, are held by ex-service men, and how many by non-ex-service men or women; and whether he will make representations to all Departments concerned with a view to their substituting ex-service men for non-ex-service caretakers upon all practicable occasions?
Lieut.-Commander YOUNGCollected figures are not available for Government offices and buildings as a whole. The number of resident caretakers in Ministry of Labour offices is 59; of these. 39 are ex-service men, 11 are non-service men and 9 are women. The number in Inland 735 Revenue offices is 111; of these, 28 are ex-service men, and 83 are non-service men, or women, 39 of whom were appointed before the outbreak of war, and practically the whole of the remainder between that date and the Armistice. It is understood by these as by other Departments that ex-service men must be substituted for non-service personnel upon all practicable occasions, but I understand that the present shortage of accommodation frequently renders it impossible to displace resident caretakers appointed in the past. I am, however, communicating further with' the two Departments on the subject.