HC Deb 15 December 1932 vol 273 cc511-2
45 and 46. Sir A. KNOX

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1) the date that the Joint Substitution Board was created and the number of ex-service men appointed to Government Departments through its machinery;

(2) if he will consider the advisability of the reconstitution of the Joint Substitution Board, since His Majesty's Government has re-affirmed the policy of preference for ex-service men, so that redundant ex-service men with former experience in the Civil Service who are eligible for reconsideration in 1934 as to permanency may be dealt with by the board, and thus afforded protection against losing the opportunity for such reconsideration?

Mr. HORE-BELISHA

As the answer is somewhat long, I propose to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the answer:

The Joint Substitution Board was set up in September, 1920, and was charged with the duty in the first instance of finding employment in Government Departments for suitable ex-service men as new recruits, and secondly of finding further employment for ex-service men who became redundant in Government Departments. No separate statistics are available to distinguish the work done under the two heads.

Following an agreement negotiated in January, 1925, and known as the Guinness Agreement, the operations of the board in securing preference for re-employment in Government Departments was confined to temporary clerks recruited before that date and a modification of the agreement in the manner suggested could not be contemplated. Nor is it in any way necessary in connection with the Government policy in regard to ex-service preference.

It should be added that the temporary clerks (some 10,000 in number) for whom the Joint Substitution Board's task was to find fresh temporary employment on redundancy have now been made eligible for permanent employment in accordance with the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Civil Service and following negotiations on the Temporary Staffs Committee. I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy of the report of this committee for his information.