Mr. ROBINSONasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been drawn to the position of ex-service men who entered the service of the Inland Revenue and other Government Departments after the 12th January, 1925, many of whom are under notice to terminate their employment (temporarily withdrawn); and whether he will arrange that the notices shall be withdrawn and the disabled ex-service men given permanent employment, subject to an efficiency test, in the respective Government Departments in which they are at present employed?
§ Mr. RONALD McNEILLThe Memorandum on action to be taken in ac- 1249W cordance with, or as supplementary to, the Third Report of the Southborough Committee, which was agreed with the association recognised as representing ex-service men temporarily employed in the Civil Service, provides that selection for permanent non-pensionable status shall be limited to ex-service men employed in Government Departments, other than on a casual basis, at the date of the Memorandum, namely, 12th January, 1925, but that ex-service men then employed on a casual basis should also be eligible for the grant of similar status if they had had previous temporary service of a non-casual character. In accordance with paragraph 9 of the Memorandum of Agreement, ex-service men newly recruited for temporary service at dates
Cash supplied for Sinking Fund. Nominal amount of National Debt at end of year. Tax Reduction. New Taxation. Provided by Budget. Derived from Surplus. £ £ £ £ £ 1919–20 … 159,500,000 63,100,000 5,430,209 -326,201,000 7,831,744,300 (Deficit). 1920–21 … 34,050,000 218,755,000 21,266,860 +230,556,000 7,585,409,690 1921–22 … 220,145,000 — 25,010,609 +45,693,000 7,676,295,109 1922–23 … 60,157,000 — 24,710,782 +101,516,000 7,772,396,508 1923–24 … 57,175,000 — 40,000,000 +48,329.000 7,680,623,353 1924–25 … 47,206,000 265,000 45,000,000 +3,659,000 7,646,371,788 1925–26 … 51,220,000 20,050,000 50,000,000 -14,038,000 7,615,915,749 (Deficit). 1926–27 … 300,000 9,305,000 60,000,000 — — The figures of tax reduction and new taxation represent the effect for a full year of the tax changes made in the Budgets. The figure for tax reduction in 1921–22 allows £219 millions in respect of the disappearance of the Excess Profits Duty, £219 millions having been the yield of the Duty in the previous year. Excess Profits Duty arrears, however, continued for some time, yielding £30,452,000 in 1921–22. The figures for the nominal amount of the National Debt have, of course, been affected by conversion operations, and should not be taken as a true measure of the effective reduction of debt.
1250Wsubsequent to the 12th January, 1925, are appointed on a purely temporary footing, and I regret, therefore, that I am unable to entertain the hon. Member's suggestion.