3. Lieut.-Commander Clark Hutchisonasked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the long waiting list of Service pensioners for employment as barrack store accountants and barrack inventory accountants, he will now transfer the established civil servants at present holding posts as barrack fuel and light accountants to other posits and reopen this type of employment to Service pensioners.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for War (Mr. Michael Stewart)I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to his Questions on this subject on 22nd February last. There is no longer a grade of barrack fuel and light accountant, the posts in question having been assimilated to the general clerical class of the Civil Service. To regrade these posts to barrack accountants would be contrary to the general policy that clerical work shall be done by clerical grades.
Lieut-Commander HutchisonIn view of the fact that something like 455 pensioners are on the waiting list for employment as barrack wardens, will not the Under-Secretary reconsider this decision, which has caused great dissatisfaction?
§ Mr. StewartI think we must look at the question as a whole. It should be remembered that, in the general clerical class to which these posts have now been assimilated, there are vacancies reserved for ex-Regular Service men.