§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR (Donegal, E.)asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether he will consider the advisability of suspending any further appointments to the Upper Division of 1105 the Civil Service, pending the Report of the Royal Commission on Civil Establishments?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Mr. W. H. SMITH) (Strand, Westminster)The subject to which the hon. Member draws my attention has been under the careful consideration of Her Majesty's Government for some time past, and in one of the great spending Departments all entries into the clerical staff have been suspended. The hon. Gentleman and the House must not, however, form any exaggerated expectations of the results to be obtained from these steps, as the average of the admissions into the Upper Division has been, for some years past, only 16 annually. The hon. Gentleman may be assured that the whole Question will continue to receive the careful attention of the Government, so as to effect every possible reduction in the charge for the Civil Service.