§ 53. Mr. HOGGEasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many permanent civil servants have passed the retiring age of 60 and are still being retained; and whether, in view of the large number of ex-service men unemployed on the books of the Joint Substitution Board, he will take immediate steps to ensure the resignation of all permanent officials over 60 years of age, in order to create vacancies throughout the civil service?
Mr. GRAHAMInformation is not readily available as to the number of permanent civil servants who have passed the age of 60 and are still serving. The age for compulsory retirement in the Civil Service, as laid down in Clause 15 of the Order in Council of the 10th January, 1910, is not 60, but 65 years, though it is competent for the head of any Department to call upon any officer of such Department to retire at any time after reaching the age of 60 on such pension 1165 as he is qualified by length of service to receive. I do not think it would in the interests either of efficiency or economy, nor would it be equitable, to fetter the discretion of heads of Departments in the manner suggested in the latter part of the question.