§ 53. Mr. CAIRNSasked the Minister of Labour what arrangements, if any, were made through his Department for the absorption of ex-service men, overseas and home service, respectively, demobilised from the forces from 1918 to October, 1920, into posts in the temporary Civil Service?
§ Major BOYD-CARPENTERI have been asked to reply. In accordance with the recommendations in the Second Report, dated May, 1918, of the Gladstone Committee on the Recruitment to the Civil Service after the War, preferential treatment in filling vacancies in temporary posts in the Civil Service was accorded to such disabled and demobilised men as were from time to time available. In September, 1919, following upon the Report of the Committee on the employment of disabled men in Government Departments, steps were taken to secure employment for disabled men in each Department to a number representing not less than 8 per cent. of the temporary staff, male and female, employed on 30th June, 1919; and all future vacancies in temporary posts, other than those excepted in the Report, were reserved for disabled men, or, failing disabled men, for demobilised men. As regards the latter category, preference was given in accordance with the recommendation of the Committee to men with service overseas. The First Report, dated August, 1920, of Lord Lytton's Committee recommended the institution of Departmental Substitution Committees and a central co-ordinating body, with a view to increased substitution of the existing temporary staff by ex-service men, among whom preference was accorded in the first place to disabled men, and, in the second, to those with service overseas, and those recommendations were adopted.