asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury why many of the staff being taken on temporarily by Government Departments are people who have never previously worked as clerks and in many cases relatives of permanent officials, especially as many ex-service men who were temporary civil servants until recently are now unemployed; and if he will ensure that in future preference is given for any vacancies occurring in Government Departments to such ex-service men who were previously employed by the Government and who are not in receipt of a pension?

With regard to the first part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 5th December to the hon. Member for Shipley (Mr. Creech Jones). With regard to the second part, it has been and remains the practice that, other things being equal, preference is given in filling temporary vacancies in the Government Service to ex-Servicemen.