§ MR. GIBSONasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether the candidates for medical appointments in the Army, Navy, and India have to give their names and qualifications to the Board of Examiners, instead of being known to the examiners by numbers only, as in almost all other public examinations; whether there is any member of the Board of Examiners with an Irish qualification, or having any connection with Ireland; and, whether, having regard to the dissatisfaction and discontent which exists amongst Irish candidates as to the results of recent examinations, he will either have Ireland represented on the Board of Examiners or else take care that the candidates shall only 706 be known to the examiners by numbers?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONsaid, that a list of the candidates by name was furnished to each Examiner, but no statement as to their qualifications was given. One of the Examiners was an M.D. of the Dublin University, and the other a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. No expression of dissatisfaction or discontent on the subject had reached the War Office; but it was possible that the Irish candidates practically had a monopoly of the service, owing to the abstention of the English and Scotch schools from sending candidates. No doubt, however, some dissatisfaction existed at the increased competition which the improved prospects of the Department had brought about. He would consider the desirability of having the candidates designated by numbers instead of by names.