§ Mr. DIXONasked the Postmaster-General (1) whether he can give the total number of boy messengers who have qualified for, and been deprived of, appointments as sorting clerks and telegraphists in Northern Ireland as a result 1194W of the retention of established officers who have reached the age of 60 years; and is lie aware that such retentions deprive a large number of senior and highly efficient officers of clue promotion in the service;
(2) how many boy messenger general examinations have been held in Northern Ireland since January, 1923; the number of boys who competed at each of such examinations; how many of the competitors qualified for appointments as sorting clerks and telegraphists in Northern Ireland; and how many have in fact received appointments to vacancies for sorting clerks and telegraphist; in Northern Ireland;
(3) whether he is aware that 40 established officers in the Post Office in Northern Ireland who have passed the normal Civil Service retirement age of 60 are at present serving periods of extension of service; that all officials on the telegraph side of Belfast who have attained 55 years of age have recently been offered terms of retirement under the Superannuation Act of 1859, whilst a number of salaried officials in the same Department have been retained beyond the age of 60; and will he say why some officials have been asked to retire at 55 years of age whilst others have been retained beyond 60?
§ Viscount WOLMERI will answer these questions together. The boy messengers' general examination, which is a qualifying test imposed as a condition of the boys' permanent retention in the Post Office service, is held half-yearly and 11 examinations have been held in Northern Ireland since January, 1923. The number of boys who sat for these examinations has varied from 10 to 23, and the number who qualified for appointment as sorting clerk and telegraphist varied from two to nine. From the exam nations held in 1923 and 1924, four boys have been appointed sorting clerk and telegraphist (postal) in Northern Ireland and two outside; and a certain number which I cannot specify without detailed inquiry will be considered for appointment at offices where telegraph qualifications are required. The examinations held subsequently to May, 1925, have yet to be drawn upon in their tarn for a proportion of the vacancies for sorting clerks and telegraphists (postal). 1195W It is not possible to state precisely to what extent individual candidates have been affected by the retention of certain officers beyond 60 years of age. My information is that there are only 25 established officers in the Post Office in Northern Ireland who have passed the age of 60. In view of the present redundancy of telegraph staff, officers at certain of the larger telegraph offices in Great Britain and Northern Ireland (including Belfast) who have attained the age of 55 have been approached on the subject of retirement. There are at present no officers on the telegraph side at Belfast who have passed the age of 60.