§ MR H. L. W. LAWSON (Gloucester, Cirencester)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that there have been very few vacancies for boy clerks of late in the Civil Service, and many have in consequence been obliged to seek other employment, although the record of their work for three years has been satisfactory; whether he has noticed that the Royal Commission on Civil Establishments, in their Second Report, thought it might be desirable to reserve an increased proportion of men clerkships for them; and whether anything has been or will be done to carry out this recommendation?
§ * THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Sir J. T. HIBBERT,) OldhamEntry to the Second Division is obtained by open competition, and it is not desirable to lower the qualifications of that class of the Public Service by the appointment of persons who cannot obtain clerkships in the ordinary method. An exception is already made in favour of boy clerks. They are allowed to compete among themselves for the Second Division on any occasion of open competition for the same, and one-fourth of those so competing are admitted. I do not think that the exception should be further extended.