§ Mr. MYERSasked the Minister of Labour whether the substitution committees appointed in Government departments were required to report to the 9W Central Substitution Committee the number of vacancies for ex-service men; whether any posts other than those of the lower grades have been notified, with the number in each grade substituted; whether he is aware that in several of the Ministries the substitution committees were not permitted to deal with highly-salaried officers whose private incomes were of large amounts; and whether he proposes to take any steps to ensure that all such appointments are substituted by ex-service officers or men who are now unemployed?
§ Mr. BALDWINI have been asked to reply. Government departments are required to report all vacancies for ex-service men which may occur in their temporary staffs to the Joint Substitution Board. 384 posts above Grade III clerkships have been notified to that Board since the 13th September last. With regard to the last two parts of the question, I would remind the hon. Member that the recommendation made by Lord Lytton's Committee on this point was that non-service personnel with independent means who are temporarily employed should be discharged unless it could be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Head of the Office that such officers were indispensable and that their retention was essential in the interests of the public service.
§ Mr. MYERSasked the Minister of Labour what steps were taken to secure uniformity in the application of the Lytton Report on the substitution of ex-service men for non-service persons and others with independent means employed in Government Departments; whether that Report recommends substitution in cases of those with private means; whether employés of various Departments have been requested to give particulars of their income from other sources; and, if so, the number of persons in each Department whose private incomes from public and other sources, not including disability pensions, are in excess of £350 per annum?
§ Mr. BALDWINI have been asked to reply to this question. A joint body has been set up by the Treasury and the Ministry of Labour to co-ordinate the activities of Government Departments in carrying out the recommendations of Lord Lytton's Committee with regard to the substitution of ex-service men for10W temporary personnel who have not served in the Forces. Amongst these is a recommendation that, subject to exceptions in the interests of the efficiency of the service, temporary non-service personnel of the clerical and superior grades who are found to possess private means should be substituted by ex-service personnel. Temporary non-service employés in the various Departments have accordingly been requested to furnish particulars of their private means, if any. Though in the majority of cases they have complied with this request, I regret that it is not possible for me to state for each Department the number of non-service temporary personnel with private incomes in excess of £350 per annum. The total number of such persons is clearly small. The grounds for retention under the recommendations of the Lytton Report of persons with considerable private means are being carefully scrutinised in each individual case while in cases in which information as to private means is refused no claim to retention on grounds of hardship is entertained.