CIVIL SERVANTS. (Hansard, 30 June 1936)

§ 48. Mr. KEELING
asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the Middlesex County Council, Westminster City Council, Bank of England, Associated Newspapers, Asiatic Petroleum Company and many other employers give their staffs leave on full pay for the 15 days during which they attend Territorial training camps, without sacrifice of their ordinary holiday; whether he is aware that civil servants are given such extra leave for only six days; and whether, in order to stimulate recruiting for the Territorial Army and set an example to other employers, Government Departments will be authorised to follow the practice of the employers named, at least in respect of civil servants who get not more than 18 days' ordinary leave?

§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. W. S. Morrison)
I have sympathetically considered my hon. Friend's proposal that civil servants whose normal leave allowance does not exceed 18 days a year and who attend the full period of annual training should be given special leave with pay for the whole period. The details are being worked out, and I will send my hon. Friend a copy of the instructions to Departments, which will be issued in due course. I regret that it will not be possible to bring the new arrangements into operation during the current camping season.

§ Mr. SHINWELL
Will the additional expenditure require a Supplementary Estimate?

§ Mr. MORRISON
No, Sir, I do not think so.

§ Mr. SHINWELL
Will there be any additional expenditure, and, if so, on which Vote will it be taken?

§ Mr. MORRISON
If the hon. Member will put that question down, I will give him an answer.

§ Mr. KEELING
While thanking my hon. and learned Friend for his extremely satisfactory reply, may I ask him whether he will endeavour to give it as wide publicity as possible, either through a circular by the Ministry of Health to the local authorities or otherwise?

§ Mr. A. HENDERSON
Does the hon. and learned Gentleman not take the view that the best way to deal with this problem is to introduce legislation to provide that all workers in all industries should have 14 days' holiday annually on full pay?