§ Major EDWARD WOODasked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that the Civil Service Commission is making public advertisement for additional temporary women clerks, while at the same time large numbers of women are being discharged from Government offices; and what arrangements, if any, exist between Government Departments in order to avoid the necessity of advertising for fresh staff until the existing staff has been absorbed?
§ Mr. BALDWINThe Treasury arranged last November that the Civil Service Commission should be notified of all impending discharges from Government Departments in London, and under this arrangement the Commission has effected transfers in a large number of cases. Up to the present time, however, the numbers of staff available for transfer have been quite inadequate to meet the demands for extra staff made by the Departments on which additional work has been thrown in connection with demobilisation, and in the circumstances the Civil Service Commission has found it necessary to issue the advertisement referred to.