asked the hon. Member for the Pollok Division of Glasgow, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, how many workmen employed in the royal parks and gardens of 70 years of age and over have been retained in the service; whether any workmen of that age whose retention in the service was recommended by responsible officials as being capable of efficiently performing a full day's work have been dismissed; and, if so, why these official recommendations were disregarded?

There are now no workmen in the Royal parks and gardens of 70 years of age or over. The First Commissioner, with whom the final decision rests, considered the matter very carefully, and reluctantly came to the conclusion that it was essential for the efficient maintenance of the parks to replace these men by younger and more active men.