§ Major ARCHER-SHEEasked the Postmaster General, whether his attention has been drawn to the case of James Henry Wilson, who was appointed unestablished cleaner in the Post Office in October 1909, with a view to an appointment on the permanent staff at the end of three years, was appointed acting-porter at the Paddington district office in December 1911, and who passed the examination of the Civil Service Commissioners for the permanent staff in January 1912; whether he is aware that this man was informed, after he had completed two and a-half years' service, that he was ineligible for appointment to the permanent staff, as there had been a break in his Government service between the time when he left the Royal Marines, after 12 years' service, and the time when he joined the Naval Reserve; whether he is aware that it is admitted that it is not through any fault of the man that this appointment is refused; and whether, in view of the hardship involved in this case, in which the person concerned had given up more lucrative employment in order to qualify for service and pension, he can see his way to having him appointed to the permanent staff.
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe facts are substantially as stated by the hon. Member. No promise of appointment to the pensionable staff was however given to Mr. Wilson when he was first employed; the conditions of employment which he then signed stating merely that the 1639W employment did not carry the status of a permanent Civil Servant, or a title to pension. He is unfortunately ineligible for an established situation in consequence of break in his naval service and I do not see my way to press for a special relaxation of those regulations in his favour. He has been allowed to resume the employment of unestablished cleaner.