Mr. ALFRED DAVIESasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether there are certain temporary 1863W chemical assistants in the Department of the Government Chemist over 30 years of age whose dismissal is pending under the regulation governing the appointment of such temporary chemical assistants; whether the male temporary chemical assistants in question were refused permission to join the Army, have discharged their duties satisfactorily for many years, and were retained up to and beyond the age of 30 in the Department during the War; whether such assistants are debarred from obtaining the new-scale of pay recently granted to temporary chemical assistants as a consequence of the enforcement of the age-limit regulation; whether the volume of work in the Department necessitated the engagement of several new temporary chemical assistants in the early part of this year, notwithstanding the formal and informal notices of dismissal served on the older trained temporary chemical assistants in January last; and whether, in the above circumstances, he will assent to the retention of the older temporary chemical assistants until the matter can be discussed by the Whitley Council?
§ Mr. BALDWINThere are at present two of the Temporary Chemical Assistants referred to over the age of 30, the age at which they are due to retire under the terms of their engagement. The senior of these received informal notice over a 12-month ago and is now under definite notice to leave. He was classed as B.1 and owing to the exigencies of the times, was retained in the Government laboratory to perform such routine work as could be entrusted to him. He is paid on the new scale recently granted to his class. New temporary chemical assistants have been appointed this year, but only to fill vacancies which have occurred.
1864WI do not consider that it would be in the interest of the public service to assent to the proposal in the last part of the question.