§ Mr. ALFRED DAVIES (Clitheroe)asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether Post Office servants who enlisted in K Company, Royal Engineers, were required to pass a trade test; that these men were invited to enlist on the invitation of the Postmaster-General and the Secretary of State for War for special employment in the Post Office; that the allowance which was paid to these men was provided out of the Post Office Vote; and whether, seeing that certain men in the Royal dockyards are allowed to count naval service for civil pension on the ground that they were employed on the same work in the Navy that they were engaged on afterwards, he will recommend a reconsideration of the decision which deprives the K Company men of part of their pensionable service?
§ Mr. BALDWINThe decision to which the hon. Member refers did not deprive those Post Office telegraphists who had previously served in K Company of part of their pensionable service. It was a refusal to introduce legislation so as to allow military service in K Company to count for civil pension, and, as I have frequently explained, this decision was reached after the fullest consideration, and I can hold out no hope that it will be reversed. I may add that the dockyard classes referred to are not pensioned under the Civil Superannuation Acts.