§ Colonel PERKINSasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether temporary ex-service civil servants now under notice owing to reduction of staff will, none the less, be afforded an opportunity of competing at the coming examination held to select the candidates for the permanent establishment; and whether he will state the principles upon which the reduction of staff, where necessary, will be carried out?
Mr. GUINNESSEx-service temporary staff who comply with the conditions as to temporary civilian service laid down in paragraph 19 of the Third Report of the Southborough Committee, and incorporated in the Regulations for the forthcoming examination to be held in accordance with that Report, will not be debarred from sitting for that examination on account of the fact that they may not, at the time, be employed in the Government service. The discharge of temporary staff, where necessary, is, so far as possible, and subject to considerations of efficiency, conducted on the basis of the recommendation contained in paragraph 15 of the First Report of the Lytton Committee on the Appointment of Ex-Service Men to Posts in the Civil Service, that preference in the matter of retention should be given first to disabled ex-service persons, then to persons with service overseas, and then to other ex-service personnel.