§ 59. Mr. R. C. Morrisonasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the assurance given that, in carrying out the plan for the release of whole-time Civil Defence workers to productive industry, care would be taken to defer discharge until the Ministry of Labour could find employment for the persons concerned is operating to prevent local authorities from reducing their whole-time establishment in the ordinary course of establishment revision, where this could be done without loss of efficiency by the substitution of part-time volunteers or persons directed into part-time service by the Ministry of Labour; and whether he will take prompt steps to remedy this?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonNo, Sir. My assurance was not intended to refer to redundant personnel, and I think the House will agree that where local authorities can maintain or increase the efficiency of their Civil Defence organisation by an increased use of part-timers, it would not be in the public interest to retain any full-time workers so rendered redundant. To remove any doubts, I am issuing a circular to this effect to the scheme-making authorities, with an intimation that they may give surplus personnel up to a month's notice to facilitate absorption into industry of those whose qualifications for other employment are not in immediate demand.