§ Mr. E. BROWNasked the Secretary of State for Air how many ex-service men employed as technical officers with the directorate of works and buildings recommended for establishment have been refused permanency on the grounds of disability; whether it is proposed to dispense with their services; and, if not, seeing that they have been recommended 394W as technically competent and so will be retained, what objection there is to giving them a definite assurance of security of tenure?
§ Sir S. HOAREAs regards the first part of the question, two officers were definitely rejected for establishment on medical grounds, whilst the establishment of two others has been deferred pending further medical reports as to their physical fitness to undertake the duties required.
As regards the remaining parts of the question, those officers definitely rejected for establishment will be retained against temporary posts on the establishment. They are physically fit to discharge only some of the duties assigned to officers of their rank, and this renders it impracticable in the interests of the public service to give them a definite assurance of security of tenure.
§ Mr. E. BROWNasked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that in a limited competition recently held at the Air Ministry, to select permanent staff for the works and buildings directorate, temporary technical officers with strong ex-service claims who have served the directorate satisfactorily since its formation have not been established though still serving satisfactorily, while other officers with only nominal ex-service qualifications have been established; and why the declared policy of the Government, as stated in paragraph 45 of the Lytton Report, has not been pursued?
§ Sir S. HOAREI have informed myself in detail as to the ex-service qualifications of those who were recommended for establishment by the Selection Board referred to by the hon. Member. I find that over 85 per cent. of those recommended were men with overseas service; the remainder were home-service men. Technical qualifications and relative efficiency had, of course, to be taken into account as well as ex-service qualifications. Those who were not recommended for establishment by the Board were reported to be unsuitable for establishment. Paragraph 45 of the Lytton Report requires that men recommended shall be fully competent to perform all the duties likely to be required of them, and gives no preference to one category of ex-service men over another as regards selection for establishment.
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§ Mr. E. BROWNasked the Secretary of State for Air why overseas ex-service temporary stores and accounts officers, who have served for several years in the directorate of works and buildings, and who have received regular increments as evidence of satisfactory service, have been refused establishment; whether he is aware that their places have been and are being filled by the promotion of permanent officials; that details of the qualifications required stated that certain special reference experience of a semi-technical nature was necessary; and that the permanent officials selected had first to be posted for instruction in the duties required; and why, seeing that certain experience admittedly not possessed normally by permanent servants was required, paragraph 45 of the Lytton Report was not complied with?
§ Sir S. HOAREThe answer is as follows:
Under the approved scheme for the reorganisation of the Works and Buildings Department, the Stores and Accounts posts were graded as clerical and, prima facie, should have been filled solely from the clerical grade. Candidates from this grade were considered by a board, over which the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission presided, along with all the unestablished Stores and Accounts officers already serving. There were four established posts to fill. For these were selected one temporary officer and three established clerical officers, all of whom were Lytton entrants. The selection was made on comparison of merit, due weight being given to ex-service qualifications Paragraph 45 of the Third Lytton Report was not applicable, the posts in question having been graded as clerical. I may add that during the last two years over 300 ex-service men have been established by the Air Ministry in technical or semi-technical posts.