MR. GIBSON BOWLESI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, whether Her Majesty's Government have given their attention to the Order in Council, of 4th June 1870, which provides that, in cases where the chief of a Department and the Lords of the Treasury agree to consider that qualifications for certain posts in the Civil Service are partly professional or peculiar and not ordinarily to be acquired in the Civil Service, the Civil Service Commissioners are empowered to dispense with examination, wholly or partially, and to grant a certificate of qualification without examination; whether the number of cases in which such certificates have been granted without any examination whatever, has amounted during the years from 1870 to 1894 to 3,979; and, whether he will agree to give a Return showing the number, nature, and salary of the appointments in respect of which the Civil Service Commissioners have exercised the dispensing power given to them by the Order in Council of 4th June 1870, together with the ages of the candidates concerned?
§ MR. AKERS-DOUGLASThe Government has given attention to the Order in Council referred to. The hon. Member has correctly stated the number of certificates issued under Clause VII. of the Order in Council since 1870. A Return extending over the entire period of 25 years would entail a very large amount of clerical labour, but a Return will be prepared for the last three years which will afford full information as to the circumstances in which certificates under Clause VII. are issued.