§ Mr. ALDENasked the Secretary to the Treasury what position Major Stenson Cooke holds in His Majesty's Stationery Office; what is the nature of the work performed by him; what is the salary attaching to the post; whether he has seen active service during the War; whether he is now unfit for active service; and whether there is no established Civil servant in the Department of lower rank than a chief inspector who has seen active service and been discharged from the Army who is competent to perform the duties upon which Major Stenson Cooke is employed?
§ Mr. BALDWINThe position held by Major Stenson Cooke in His Majesty's Stationery Office is that of head of the inspectorate staff. The nature of the works performed by him is that of the supervision of the use of accounting, tabulating, and calculating machines, typewriters, dictaphones, duplicators, etc., supplied to Government Departments by the Stationery Office. The duties also include the inspection of office systems in the various Departments with a view to suggesting rearrangements to effect economy in the consumption of paper and other supplies, The salary attaching to his present post is £600 per annum. Major Stenson Cooke has not seen active service during the War. There is no established Civil servant in His Majesty's Stationery Office of lower rank than the chief inspector who has seen active service and been discharged from the Army who is competent to perform the duties upon which Major Stenson Cooke is employed. Major Stenson Cooke is forty-three and a half years of age. He formerly held a commission in the London Rifle Brigade, from which he retired in 1902. He volunteered for active service in 1914 and was gazetted to the 8th Essex Regiment. He was selected for Staff duties at the War Office early in 1915, and was transferred to the Ministry of National Service in September, 1917, as Controller of Supplies in connection with recruiting. He was subsequently transferred to His Majesty's Stationery Office, with the assent of the Minister of National 683W Service and the approval of the Treasury. Owing to the early date at which Major Cooke was selected by the War Office for Staff duties he has not been medically examined as to his fitness for active service.