§ MR. CRAIG SELLAR (Lanarkshire, Partick)asked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether it is a fact that, at the late examination of candidates for ad-mission to Sandhurst Military College, one of the mathematical papers contained a question of impossible solution, in consequence of which the paper was cancelled; whether the candidates, after returning home, some of them to great distances, were recalled to London for examination on a substituted paper; 1399 and, whether the Government, in consequence of the unnecessary expenses to which the candidates have been put through the mistake of an examiner under the direction of the Civil Service Commissioners, will refund to each candidate the outlay thus caused?
§ THE SECRETARY (Mr. JACKSON) (Leeds, N.)I am afraid that there can be no doubt that some inconvenience has been caused to candidates for Sandhurst by the necessity to come up for a second algebra paper; but I am sure that the Civil Service Commissioners regret that inconvenience as heartily as I do myself. It appears, however, that in no other way could the consequences of the error in the first paper be remedied; and I do not see how we can admit a claim for re-imbursement of the extra expenses incurred by the candidates without raising many awkward questions, which the amount at stake in any particular case would scarcely make it worth while to raise.
§ MR. CRAIG SELLARgave Notice that he would call further attention to the matter in Committee of Supply.