§ Mr. REMNANTasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether, with reference to the scheme relating to mail-bag apparatus examiners, the condition that the carrying out of the scheme be suspended until all officers on the classes concerned have received one step in promotion or being passed over for promotion constitutes the invariable rule in cases where one class of established civil servants is substituted by another, or whether in special cases the operation of similar schemes of reorganisation are ever suspended until all officers on the classes replaced have received more than one step in promotion; whether the scheme and conditions in this case, finally approved by the Lords of the Treasury, were those originally recommended by the Postmaster-General; and whether this partial recognition of vested rights rests on the principle that in carrying out administrative changes even though, as in this case, ultimate saving would be effected, classes already in existence must not have their prospects of promotion unduly reduced?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI am afraid that I can add nothing to my reply of the 19th instant. I have already explained that the decision followed the usual practice. It is impossible to discuss by question and answer details of interdepartmental correspondence.