§ Major HORE-BELISHAasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that there are at the royal naval armament depot at Bull Point a number of storehouse assistants and skilled labourers holding acting appointments as storehouse men and laboratory men who have been in these indefinite positions for from four to eight and a-half years; whether he will take steps to confirm them as storehouse men and laboratory men, seeing that whilst they hold these posts in an acting capacity they are in some cases losing the chance of establishment and that in ordinary circumstances they would have been given regular appointments from the first; and whether he will see that their appointments are dated from the time when they were appointed to acting rank, as has been done with other appointments, in order that they may not be prejudiced as a result of having served in more responsible positions?
54WService, the answers to the first four parts of the question are as follows:—
§ Mr. HODGESEstablished appointments can only be made in vacancies in the authorised post-War staffs; as soon as the post-War staffs are settled steps will be taken to fill any permanent vacancies, and due consideration will be given to the claims of men who have been serving in the posts in acting capacities. No undertaking can be given that permanent appointments will be ante-dated.