§ Mr. T. Smithasked the Home Secretary over what period members of the women's voluntary services organisation have been performing voluntary clerical work in the Air-Raid Precautions Department of the Home Office; the numbers so engaged at the end of each month during the present year; the amount of wages and salaries saved by the Department as a result of this voluntary work; whether the voluntary workers have been employed separately from the paid Civil Service staff or mixed with them; whether the voluntary workers observe the same hours and days of employment as the paid Civil Service staff; how and by whom the voluntary workers were recruited for the work, whether by examination, interview, or otherwise; the qualifications and experience required; whether he is satisfied that administrative functions laid down by Act of Parliament are properly carried out in this way; whether volunteers are employed on comparable duties in any other Department of the Home Office; and what distinction, from a Civil Service point of view, lies between this and other functions of the Department?
§ Sir S. HoareThe women's voluntary services for air-raid precautions is a voluntary organisation officially recognised by the Air-Raid Precautions Department whose purpose is to assist the local authorities in the enrolment of women volunteers for their air-raid precautions services and to help in the information and instruction of women in air-raid precautions. It is not a part of the Air-Raid Precautions Department and the questions asked by the hon. Member do not therefore arise.