§ 59. Mr. R. C. Morrisonasked the Postmaster-General whether the Post Office employés are permitted to offer their spare-time services for voluntary air-raid precautions work to the local authority in whose area they reside?
§ The Postmaster-General (Major Tryon)Post office employés in general are permitted to offer their spare-time services for voluntary air-raid precautions work to the local authority in whose area they reside. The telegraph, telephone and engineering staffs will be fully occupied in an emergency on the maintenance of essential national services and cannot, therefore, be allowed to undertake obligations in other directions, which would involve their absence from the Post Office during such a period, but they are not precluded from rendering assistance in connection with the preparation of local 1341 authorities' schemes in the preliminary stages, so long as their availability for official duty is not prejudiced.
§ Mr. MorrisonCould the right hon. and gallant Gentleman take steps to make it known to Post Office employés that they would be encouraged to take part in air-raid precautions work for the local authorities in their spare time?
§ Major TryonI know that the staff is already doing a very great deal, and I am in agreement with the hon. Member's suggestion.
§ Mr. MorrisonIs the right hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that in my own borough a Post Office employé was asked to resign from doing voluntary work of this nature?
§ Major TryonI have no information about that, but there are some members of our staff who cannot possibly be trained usefully to do two different things in an emergency?
§ Mr. MorrisonIs the right hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that the impression is about among Post Office employés that they are not expected to take any part in this work, and could he not correct that impression?
§ Major TryonI do not think that is the impression, judging by the work they have been doing.