§ Mr. R. Gibsonasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will reconsider the terms of circular letter E 5,913/10 from the Treasury, dated 17th April, 1939, dealing with the pay of civil servants serving with His Majesty's forces, including Civil Defence forces, which provides that while a civil servant will be entitled to the benefit of increments on his substantive civil scale of salary while called up for service with His Majesty's forces, he will not be entitled to the benefit of any promotion to a superior civil grade which he may gain; whether he is aware that this latter provision is causing serious dissatisfaction among civil servants who have already joined the Territorial forces, or were on the point of offering themselves for service in His Majesty's fighting forces; and, as the continuance of this regulation will have the effect of causing such persons to withdraw from voluntary service, whether he will amend or cancel the latter provision?
§ Captain CrookshankI am not aware that the provision referred to has given rise to dissatisfaction. It has been discussed with, and accepted by, the accredited representatives of the staff, and1006W I see no reason to think it requires modification. While I recognise that civil servants absent with the forces will have a claim to be considered for promotion to vacancies which occur during their absence, and provision has been made accordingly, it would be clearly wrong that an officer promoted in his absence should receive the pay of the higher post before he actually takes up the duties of that post.