§ Mr. W. BAKERasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the number of extensions of service beyond the age of 60 which have been granted to Post Office officials in Northern Ireland; that the postmaster surveyor has had an extension of over two years and is still being retained; whether he will state the reason for this exceptional treatment; and whether, in the interests of the ser- 1100W vice and in order to afford a proper flow of promotion, he will cause a special inquiry to be conducted with a view to ascertaining the reason for the greater number of extensions in Northern Ireland than in other parts of the Kingdom?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONI am aware of the facts mentioned in the question. The Postmaster-Surveyor of Belfast will retire in March next. The extensions of service granted to other officers in Northern Ireland were recently reviewed at headquarters; and it has been decided that two supervising officers at Belfast shall retire next month. I am satisfied that the extensions referred to were justified, having regard to the interests of the service, and were granted in strict accordance with the general policy adopted by the Department in this matter. The number of officers retained after 60 necessarily varies from time to time and from district to district, and I can find no reason for holding a special inquiry into the matter in Northern Ireland.