asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if married women terminating temporary Civil Service employment through domestic reasons and having completed seven years' service will be paid a war gratuity similar to women becoming redundant.

No, Sir. The Superannuation Acts only authorise payment of a retiring gratuity after seven years' service to temporary Civil Servants discharged on redundancy or as part of a re-organisation of the Department by which economy can be effected.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that women retiring through domestic reasons have the same grounds for equality as those who are retiring for reasons of redundancy?

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many temporary clerical officers in the Civil Service are to be given permanent established positions without examination; and what percentage of the total number of vacancies does this figure represent.

4,500 temporary clerks between the ages of 30–50 are being selected to fill 15 per cent. of the vacancies for established clerical officers which have accrued during the war years. In addition, as a separate operation, 10,000 temporary clerks are to be selected from those with five or more years service to fill posts which have hitherto been graded as temporary and which are now being given established status.

Can the Financial Secretary say how this scheme affects those redundant Post Office workers, about whom I have had some correspondence with him, because they have to go in for an examination? Are there any free places for them?

I could not say without notice.

Will my right hon. Friend say whether this is the start of a general plan to loosen up the rules in regard to establishment, and whether this is likely to be applied in the future to the Royal dockyards?

This a plan to which this House assented, and it is set forth in paragraph 37 of Command Paper 6567.