§ 81. Sir A. Knoxasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will examine present arrangements in the Treasury for reckoning for incremental increases a part of the sick leave taken by ex-service men undergoing treatment for their pensionable war disability; and will he consider the possibility of allowing all such sick leave in future to count for incremental purposes?
§ The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Lieut.-Colonel Colville)The present normal rule is for periods of paid sick leave, unless at pension rate, to be allowed to reckon for the purposes of increment. In consequence, established non-industrial staff may reckon absence up to a maximum of 12 months in any period of four years, and unestablished non-industrial staff up to a maximum of three months in any period of 12 months. Having regard to the generous nature of the present arrangements, I regret that I cannot see my way to agree to their modification.
§ Sir A. KnoxDoes not the right hon. and gallant Gentleman recognise that these men, owing to war disability, are absent for long periods in carrying out their treatment; and would it not be a fair thing, in view of their sacrifices for the country, to allow them to count the whole of that period towards their increments of pay?
§ Lieut.-Colonel ColvilleThis was considered sympathetically and carefully, but 549 the arrangements for pay during sick leave and for increments are so generous in the Civil Service as compared with the arrangements generally outside that I cannot really recommend a change.
§ Sir A. KnoxDoes not the right hon. and gallant Gentleman think that some difference should be made with regard to the men who have suffered in the War?
§ Lieut.-Colonel ColvilleA high degree of preference is given to ex-service men to get into the Civil Service.