§ Sir T. BRAMSDONasked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether Mr. W. Davey, Yard No. 3955, invalided from the Hants Regiment, and Mr. E. Murphy, Yard No. 3942, discharged wounded from the Royal Engineers, were included in a large discharge from His Majesty's dockyard, Portsmouth, on 11th July, 1919; and if, in view of recent statements with reference to discharged men being retained in Government employ, there are special reasons why these men should be discharged in preference to men entered since the War who have served in neither the Army nor Navy?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe two men referred to were temporarily employed as skilled labourers on riveting work. There being a reduction in the amount of riveting work, it was necessary to give notices of discharge to a number of men employed on this work, and the two men named in my hon. Friend's question were included
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§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe following tabular statement gives the information asked for. It is assumed from the context that by the expression "when peace was declared" is meant when hostilities ceased, namely, the date of the Armistice, and the figures have been prepared on that basis:
with those to whom notices were given, having regard to their claims for retention relatively, to those of other men employed on the same work. A number of men to whom notices were given, including the two men now in question, were given the offer of employment as labourers at a lower rate of pay in place of that in which their services were redundant, and they have accepted the offer.