§ Colonel WESTONasked the Postmaster-General whether his Department has recently decided to grant full civil pay for the training periods of the Post Office Territorials attached to the Special Reserve section of the Royal Engineers; whether he has knowledge of the fact that the Government has circularised several large employers of labour urging the necessity for granting adequate leave and civil pay for Territorials in their employment; and whether he is now prepared to advise a general application of the decision to grant full pay to the Special Service section and other Territorials in the Post Office?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELUnder Regulations laid down by the Treasury for the whole of the Civil Service, Territorials in the Post Office who attend camp for a fortnight receive full pay for half the period. If, however, they are willing that the second week at camp should be recorded as part of their annual holidays, they receive full civil pay for the whole period. The officers of the Post Office to whom the hon. Member presumably refers in the first portion of the question are Special Reservists (category B), who are specially enlisted for the Postal and Telegraph services of the Expeditionary Force of the Army. In their case no deduction is made from pay or annual leave during the period of training.
§ Mr. ASTORasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Secretary of State for War and the Postmaster-General have recommended that ex-Royal Engineer telegraphists, serving in the Post Office, shall be entitled to count for civil pension purposes the time served by them in the Post Office as Royal Engineers; and whether he has stated that he is unable to comply with such recommendation; and, if so, whether the matter can be reconsidered?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThe answer to the first two questions is in the affirmative. I fear that I can hold out no hope of re-1462W versing the decision at which I arrived after very careful consideration of the subject.