§ Mr. WISEasked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been drawn to the disparity between the age limits of permanent and temporary ex-service civil servants eligible for forthcoming examinations for entry into the clerical class, whereby the former are ineligible in each ease after passing the 40th birthday and the latter have no age limit; and whether ho will take steps to remove this discrimination against the permanent ex-service civil servant?
§ Mr. KELLAWAYThe permanent civil servants referred to are officers of the various manipulative grades of the Post Office, many of whom have had no experience of clerical work. The temporary ex-service men, on the other hand, have all been employed in a clerical capacity. The difference in circumstances, in my opinion, fully justifies the difference in age limit; as experience shows that the difficulty of acquiring proficiency in clerical work increases with a man's age.