§ 42. Mr. Viantasked the Postmaster-General whether any arrangements are made for the provision of free meals to juvenile workers in the Post Office.
§ The Assistant Postmaster-General (Mr. Robert Grimston)Under a scheme recently introduced in the Civil Service, arrangements have been made for boys and girls under 16 years of age employed in the Post Office to obtain, free of charge, from a staff canteen, British Restaurant, or other suitable catering establishment, a midday meal of the value of one shilling. I am glad to say that 6,300, out of a total eligible staff of about 7,200, are receiving these meals. The 1898 majority of those not receiving them live near their work, and prefer to take their midday meal at home.
§ 43. Mrs. Gazalet Keirasked the Postmaster-General if he will give an assurance that in the future his Department will cease to recruit boys from secondary schools at 14 plus, thus encouraging parents to break their contracts with educational authorities to keep their children at school until 16 years of age.
§ Mr. Robert GrimstonIt is the policy of the Post Office not to encourage secondary school pupils to leave school prematurely against the wishes of local education authorities; and head postmasters throughout the country were instructed in March, 1943, not to recruit secondary school pupils, unless local education authorities were willing to release such pupils unconditionally from further attendance at school. If my hon. Friend will, give me particulars of any instance in which these instructions appear to have been disregarded, I shall be happy to have inquiry made.