It is not always possible to cover overtime work with regular duties. I have got the figures here and it works out in the case of postal and telegraph officers at 0.4 hours per week per man; in the case of a postman, higher grade, 3.2 hours per week per man; in the case of a postman, lower grade, 2.7 hours per week per man; and in the case of a telegraphist, 0.2 hours. Even if one reckons that together and if it had been possible to do all this overtime together and employ regular men it would have been very small indeed. But it is not possible to do that. This overtime is of such a character that we cannot possibly put on regular men to carry it out.

I do not like sacking men if they have to remain unemployed, particularly in these days, and considering how long these men were out of work. But for the regulations we might have acted differently. I did not like doing it but I am tied by these things. This was a regulation laid down by this House a generation ago. I think that if I attempted to do anything like that, hon. Members on the other side of the House would probably be the first to protest against it.