§ Mr. NEEDHAMasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, in the case of Post Office servants serving in the Royal Engineers at Mount Pleasant, promotion to commissioned rank has been in fact confined to London men; and, if so, what is the cause of similar promotion not being given to postal servants from the provinces?
§ Mr. TENNANTNo promotions to commissioned rank have been made from the Post Office servants serving in the Royal Engineers at Mount Pleasant. Five promotions from the ranks to commissioned rank have been given abroad in the postal section, Royal Engineers. Of these four were London men. They were selected on grounds of merit, and not because they were London men.
§ Mr. NEEDHAMasked what percentage of Post Office servants serving in the Royal Engineers at Mount Pleasant are billeted in private and licensed houses, respectively; and whether the option is freely given to the men to choose in which class of house they desire to be billeted if both classes of house are available?
§ Mr. TENNANTI am informed that fifty-six men are billeted in licensed houses and 402 in private houses. Licensed houses are carefully selected, and are in all cases satisfactory. Men are not given the option before being detailed to billets,2148W but any application to be transferred to another class of house would be granted, if possible.