§ Mr. LOUGHERasked the Postmaster-General whether, as his Department insists that boys sitting for examination for Post Office appointments should not be more than 14½ years of age, he will raise the age limit so that boys leaving secondary school at 15 years of age will not be penalised to sit for Post Office examinations?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONI assume that my hon. Friend has in mind the class of boy messengers. It is necessary that boy messengers should be recruited at a comparatively early age in order to keep to a minimum the number of boys passing through this class and thus to ensure their absorption in adult situations by about the age of 19. It is found that candidates of a suitable type are forthcoming from the elementary schools. The question of raising the age limit has been considered from time to time, but, up to the present, it has not been found practicable to make any change. Boys with a secondary school education are eligible for a number of other situations in the Post Office and the Civil Service generally, for which the age limits are higher.