§ Sir H. NIELDasked the Minister of National Service (1) whether the Committee appointed by the Ministry of National Service to review the staff of military age in the Inland Revenue Department will consider the cases of the men under twenty-five years of age in that Department, or is it to be understood that all fit men under twenty-five have been released for military service; and, if they are not yet released, will he reconcile the position with the undertaking that no fit men under twenty-five should be retained in the Civil Service; and
(2) Whether, having due regard to the necessity of providing an adequate staff to raise war revenue, the services of non-expert men of military age who have had less than three years' experience in the Department are considered indispensable to the Board of Inland Revenue; if so, will he say what steps he has taken to satisfy himself that these men are the best available; have all the men appointed to the tax surveying staff since January, 1916, special qualifications such as to justify their appointment in preference to older men who have served many years in the Department, and who have necessarily had great experience of the particular kind of administrative work requiring attention; and is he aware that in many cases the older clerks are fulfilling all of the functions of the surveyors with the exception of purely legal obligations?
§ Mr. BECKThe Military Service Committee appointed for the purpose will review all exemptions held by men of military age employed in the Board of Inland Revenue. I understand that all men under twenty-five who are placed in Grade 1 or its equivalent category have already been released with the exception of a certain number of surveyors and assistant-surveyors of taxes. In view of the specially technical nature of the duties performed by these officers my right hon. 1417W Friend the Minister of National Service, at the instance of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, agreed to the postponement of their release for military service in order that they might be medically regraded, and that thereafter the question should be considered as a whole and with due regard to the exigencies of the public service. The medical examination has now been completed, and my right hon. Friend has requested the Military Service Committee to make a special Report to him on the whole position as regards these officers, in order that it may be finally decided whether they can be made available for military service without detriment to the vital interests of the Revenue.