§ Colonel HOWARD-BURYasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that ex-service men who were formerly registered for permanent employment under the Post Office are now being told that they cannot be so registered, and are taken off the register; and whether he will take steps to see that ex-service men get priority of employment?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONI have no knowledge of the case to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers. If he will let me have particulars, I will have inquiry made.
§ Major COHENasked the Postmaster-General (1) whether ex-service men were directly represented on the sub-committee of the Post Office Whitley Council which agreed to a maximum of 25 vacancies in the December, 1926, limited clerical examination;
(2) whether he will consider the advisability of having ex-service representatives co-opted on the Post Office Whitley Council for the purpose of further inquiry into this matter;
(3) whether he will undertake to set aside a percentage of vacancies for the ex-service men who qualified in the 1926 examination until the result of this inquiry?
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§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONThe sub-committee to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers included representatives of the associations which at the time were recognised as representing members of the Post Office grades affected, including both ex-service men and others. In accordance with the recognised procedure, the staff side of the sub-committee was nominated by the staff side of the Departmental Whitley Council. I am satisfied that the claims of the ex-service members of the manipulative grades of the Post Office were fully considered by the committee and adequately met. As I stated in answer to a previous question on the 27th July last, I have reviewed the position recently and I am not prepared to reopen the matter.