§ 55. Mr. Dribergasked the Minister of Agriculture whether ex-Service men of the 1914–18 war, employed as civil servants by the Essex County Agricultural Executive Committee and now redundant, are to be retained in their existing grades or are to revert to the basic grade; and if, in considering this matter, he will bear in mind that reversion to the basic ground would put these men at a disadvantage in comparison with other staff, including ex-Service men of World War II.
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§ Sir T. DugdaleRedundancy amongst the temporary staff of the Essex County Agricultural Executive Committee is dealt with under a procedure applicable to the Department as a whole and agreed upon between the Official and Staff Sides of the Departmental Whitley Council. Because of a long-standing pledge, ex-Service men of the 1914–18 war are in a more favourable position than other staff in the matter of retention in employment, though not necessarily in the same grade, in the event of redundancy. A man in this class, if he is redundant in his present grade, has the right to revert and be considered in relation to men in a grade below; other officers have this right only if they have served in that lower grade.