Lieut. Colonel PINKHAMasked the Lord Privy Seal when it is proposed to determine the number of acting appointments given to permanent civil servants at the War Office and Admiralty during the War, in view of the fact that these acting appointments were granted, presumably, in consequence of special duties or increased duties arising out of and during the War; whether these posts carry substantive salaries, in most cases largely in excess of the normal, and if these higher salaries carry also, in addition, the regulated Civil Service War bonus on the higher salary; and how many of these acting appointments were held on the day of the Armistice and 60W now on both War Office and Admiralty Departments?
§ Mr. BALDWINPending the determination of the post-War establishments, acting appointments have been given to officers employed for the time being on duties of greater responsibility than normally devolves upon their substantive grade. The emoluments assigned to such officers which carry War bonus have not been in excess of those appropriate to the higher grade in which they are acting. While it is impossible to terminate these acting appointments until there is a diminution of work, the Admiralty and War Office are under instructions to keep such appointments under constant watch with a view to abolition in each individual case as soon as circumstances admit. I am informed by the War Office and Admiralty that the acting appointments held by permanent Civil Servants in their respective Department at Armistice now number:—
The increase in the Admiralty is, I am informed, due, amongst other causes, to the clearing-up of arrears which accumulated during the War, the revision of Naval pay, pensions and service conditions, and the substitution of Civil Servants for temporary officers engaged for special duties, most of whom resigned immediately after the Armistice.
Armistice. Now. War Office … 335 230 Admiralty … 848 931