§ Captain W. BENNasked the Secretary of State for War whether postal workers and telephonists who enlisted in the Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps, and went on active service will be granted the same gratuity as men serving under the same conditions; were these women given a guarantee (Army Council Instruction) on joining up that any military service would be counted as continuous postal service; has the Postmaster-General issued a ruling that any extra service incurred through enrolling under Army Council Instruction would not count as continuous service; and were these workers by these means excluded from engaging until April, 1920, which the War Office laid down as necessary to entitle them to the Army of Occupation bonus granted under Army Council Instruction 507/1919?
§ Sir A. WILLIAMSONAs regards the first part of the question, no member of the Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps is entitled to a gratuity. The remaining parts of the question should have been addressed to my right hon. Friend the Postmaster-General, but I am informed that Post Office servants who enlisted in the Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps were allowed to count their service under their original engagement as continuous Post Office service for the purpose of increments and pensions, but any voluntary extension of service for the Armies of Occupation can only be regarded as special leave without pay not counting for increment or pension. This decision is in accordance with the instructions governing the re-enlistment of civil servants generally in the Armies of Occupation. No objection has been raised to the re-engagement of such Post Office442W women as wished to volunteer for the Armies of Occupation on the conditions laid down.