§ MR. HERBERT PAULI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he can state the number of nusuccessful candidates at the last examina- 1617 tion for the First Division of the Civil Service to whom appointments have been offered; whether it is intended to give any further appointments to unsuccessful candidates; and whether he has considered the advisability of adopting the alternative course of promoting clerks from the Second Division to such appointments?
§ *SIR JOHN HIBBERTThe term "unsuccessful candidates" is misleading. The recent examination was held in order to fill eight existing vacancies and others that might occur during the next six months. Two such have occurred. No candidate has been, or will be, offered an appointment who has not shown himself to be fully qualified, nor has any one been appointed who has not graduated in Honours at the University. Although it is not proposed to depart from the established principle that admission to the First Division shall be by competitive examination, the Treasury is always ready to consider a recommendation from the head of a Department for the promotion of a Second Division clerk of exceptional ability and qualifications to fill such a vacancy in his Department.