§ MR. CRAIG SELLAR (Lanarkshire, Partick)asked the Secretary to the Trea- 1767 sury, in reference to the late examination for Admission to Sandhurst Military College, Whether it is within the knowledge of the Civil Service Commissioners that faulty examination papers have on several previous occasions been presented to and answered by candidates for public appointments; if so, would he state whether re-examinations were held on these occasions, or in what manner these faulty examination papers were dealt with; if he can inform the House how many candidates were examined on the first paper on the recent occasion; how many of these returned for re-examination; whether there were among them several candidates from Scotland, Ireland, and distant parts of England; and, what time elapsed between the first examination and the re-examination?
§ THE SECRETARY (Mr. JACKSON) (Leeds, N.)In answer to the first paragraph, faulty examination papers have been presented and answered on previous occasions. There was no re-examination, allowance being made by the examiners. I may say that, in this case, the re-examination was the result of applications from hon. Members that re-examination should be afforded to the boys. The suggestion was not the suggestion of the Commissioners, but one made to them. In answer to the second paragraph, the number of candidates examined on the first occasion was 408; and in answer to the third paragraph, the number was 397. The answer to the fourth paragraph is, Yes; and to the fifth paragraph, three days.