§ Mr. CAUTLEYasked the Secretary of State for War whether those Civil ser- 1242W vants who, while serving in the Army at the date of the Armistice, responded to the General's call for volunteers for the Army of Occupation and wore accepted, now find that under G.R.O. 6,419, Civil Servants' Extension of Service, their period of service will not count for Civil increment or Civil pension as it did prior to the Armistice; whether this should have been explained to them when inviting them to volunteer; and whether in their cases he will have this injustice removed by allowing the time served with the Army of Occupation as prior to the Armistice?
§ Mr. BALDWINA Civil servant who, being otherwise eligible for demobilisation, prefers to volunteer for a further period of military service, either in the Army of Occupation or under the Milner Bounty Scheme, is regarded as on leave of absence from Civil duty without pay, the period of absence not counting for Civil increment or pension. I regret that I am unable to sanction an exception to this rule in favour of any Civil servants who may have volunteered for such service before the above decision was announced, without first ascertaining whether their action would be approved by their Civil Department.