§ Lord H. CAVENDISH -BENTINCKasked the President of the Board of Trade whether in view of the paucity of promotions in the seamen's registry, those men who have attained the normal retiring age of sixty, but who wider the exceptional conditions prevailing during the War, have been retained in the Department, will be compulsorily retired; and whether the age of retirement in future will be maintained at the usual figure of sixty years?
§ Sir A. GEDDESThe Board of Trade have not adopted sixty as the normal retiring age, but I understand that the Committee which has been considering the future organisation of the office of the Registrar-General of Shipping and Seamen and whose Report is now before the Treasury have recommended that certain officers who are not yet sixty-five shall be retired in order to facilitate the carrying out of their proposals. I am not prepared to alter the present practice with regard to the retiring age.