§ Sir J. NORTON-GRIFFITHSasked the Secretary of State for War whether all civilian clerks in Army offices have now been replaced by ex-service men in accordance with Army Council Instructions of 1921?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON - EVANSArmy Council Instruction 233 of 1921, to which I presume my hon. and gallant Friend refers, did not require that all non-ex-service clerks should be replaced by ex-service men, irrespective of the over-riding consideration of the efficiency of the service, a consideration present throughout the recommendations of the Lytton Committee. As shown in a footnote to Command Paper 1598, the clerical2388W staffs in Army record offices, pay offices, etc., on 1st January totalled 9,224, which included (apart from boys) only 234 non-ex-service males entered since the outbreak of the War, or approximately 2.5 per cent, of the total staff. Those non-ex-service men are in general retained on account of their special experience; but their cases fall under constant review with a view to their discharge as reductions are effected, or to their replacement by suitable ex-service men where not detrimental to the interests of the service.