§ MR. DEASYasked the Secretary to the Treasury, If he is aware that, owing to the ambiguous wording of the last paragraph, on page 6, of the Instructions supplied to Officers of Inland Revenue regarding promotion to a Division, many Ride Officers have been misled as to its meaning, and consequently, through no fault of their own, have had their promotion deferred; whether the Board of Inland Revenue have received numerous complaints from such Officers; whether steps will be taken to alter the wording of the said paragraph, so as to make its meaning clear; and, whether Officers, who have been deceived by those Instructions, will now be accorded those places on the official list to which they would otherwise be entitled?
§ MR. COURTNEYThe wording of this Instruction has been the same for at least 25 years; its meaning is well understood; and very few complaints have been received from officers professing to have misunderstood it. There does not appear to be any necessity to consider the question.
§ MR. DEASYIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the paragraph referred to runs as follows:—
After one year from the date of his appointment to a Ride, an officer may apply for promotion to a Division;and the interpretation put upon those words is that unless the officer applies at the end of 12 months exactly he will lose his place on the list, and his juniors in the Service will then obtain promotion before him? But the meaning attached to it by many officers is that they are entitled to promotion by seniority as heretofore; but that in this case a petition must be sent in on application made after 12 months.
§ MR. COURTNEYI am not aware that any such interpretation has been put upon it, and do not think there is any foundation for that statement.