§ Mr. McEnteeasked the Secretary of State for War whether he will cause an inquiry to be made into the extent to which serving military personnel is being transferred into the War Office to undertake civilian duties of a clerical nature previously performed by ex-soldier clerks; whether he is aware that, in many cases, the transferred military personnel is supplanting civilian staffs who are not liable for military service; and whether he will take steps to ensure that the War Office utilises to the full the experience of the ex-soldier clerk grade whose members have completed their military service and who are at present being supplanted in civilian posts by serving military personnel?
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaSince the beginning of the war, it has been necessary to augment the clerical establishment of the War Office by the employment in certain cases of experienced serving military personnel as well as by the addition of civilian clerical staff, but in no case has this resulted in the services of ex-soldier clerks being dispensed with. The policy of the War Office to utilise to the full the experience of the ex-soldier clerk grade remains unchanged.