§ 53. Sir Arnold Wilsonasked the Minister of Labour whether he will initiate a new King's Roll of employers who are willing to make up the wages of men going to Territorial camps, and to give these men the same holidays as at present, outside their training; and whether, in any case, he will instruct divisional officers of the Ministry to ascertain what firms are willing so to act, and to give publicity to their names?
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour (Mr. Lennox-Boyd)I appreciate the motive of my hon. Friend's suggestion, but I am afraid that it is not one which I could support. The King's Roll was instituted for the benefit of disabled ex-service men and any plan which might detract from its value to them would be most undesirable. As regards the second part of the question I understand that the War Office and the Territorial Army Associations, whose concern this is, do give publicity in such cases.
§ 71. Mr. James Griffithsasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that civil servants who join the Territorial Army are only permitted full pay for one week during the fortnight's annual training, and that the second week is taken from their 784 normal holiday period; and whether he will consider granting leave for the training period in addition to the normal holiday period?
§ The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Captain Crookshank)The position is not quite as represented by the hon. Member. Since March, 1937, civil servants who are members of the Territorial Army and whose normal leave allowance does not exceed three weeks are allowed an additional fortnight's leave on full pay for attendance at camp. It is only those civil servants whose annual leave allowance is four weeks or more who are limited to one week's special leave for attendance at camp. In view of the scale on which civil servants' leave allowances are fixed, I do not think any further concession is called for.
§ Mr. CulverwellIs the right hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that the granting of leave for the training period in addition to the normal holiday period is not carried out by the co-operative societies, and will he protest against this unpatriotic action?
§ Mr. A. V. AlexanderIs the Financial Secretary aware that that statement is quite untrue, and that co-operative societies have been advised to take the opposite course?
§ Mr. CulverwellArising out of the supplementary question put by the right hon. Gentleman, I am prepared to furnish him with evidence to the contrary.