HC Deb 20 July 1954 vol 530 cc106-7W
97. Mr. D. Jones

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that a large number of established civil servants, now employed by the Ministry of Food at West Hartlepool, are being given the alternative of either transferring to distant places to fill vacancies, or resignation; whether he is further aware that additional posts in the Inland Revenue and National Insurance Departments are being occupied by temporary appointees; and, in view of the hardship involved, if he will give directions for the whole matter to be reconsidered.

Mr. R. A. Butler

I understand that out of a complement of 15 only 4 of the established staff in the Ministry of Food's office in West Hartlepool are being compulsorily posted away from the locality. There are no temporary staff of the appropriate grade in the local office of the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance. There are three temporary officers of the appropriate grade in the local office of Inland Revenue.

Every effort has been made to secure local postings so far as possible, but I am satisfied that it would not be right to offer the three posts in Inland Revenue to the Ministry of Food's staff, bearing in mind, on the one hand, the claims of Inland Revenue's staff elsewhere for posting to this locality, and, on the other, the fact that the personal circumstances of the 4 Ministry of Food officers do not warrant inclusion in the highest priority category for local posting.

98 and 99. Mr. Page

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what steps he is taking to alleviate the hardship falling upon established civil servants displaced by the closing of the Ministry of Food offices in Merseyside;

(2) whether Government employment can be found in Merseyside for established female civil servants with family responsibilities, who are affected by the closing of the Ministry of Food offices there.

Mr. R. A. Butler

Over the country as a whole about 4,000 of the 5,400 established civil servants made redundant by the end of food rationing have been posted to other Government Departments, in most cases, without resort to compulsion, in the areas in which they were previously serving. This satisfactory progress has been the result of the wholehearted co-operation of my right hon. Friends and their Departments, and of the co-operation which there has been at every stage between the Departments concerned and staff representatives.

While it was never to be expected that every redundant officer could be posted locally, every effort has been made to avoid causing hardship, and full regard has been paid to the personal circumstances of individuals, including such factors as family responsibilities and physical disability. In this respect, men and women have been treated alike.

In Merseyside, local postings have been found for all those whose personal circumstances are such as to justify their inclusion in the highest priority category.