§ MR. SNOWDEN (Blackburn)To ask the Secretary to the Treasury what is the average age of officers of Excise when called upon to attend the examination for supervisorship, and what proportion of those who present themselves secure promotion; whether in view of the course of study which success at the examination entails, the Board of Inland Revenue will adopt the course introduced by the Board of Customs in similar circumstances and give six months notice of the date of the examination, and at the same time indicate the officers who will be called upon to attend; whether he can state when the next examination will be held, and also say how far down the seniority list of first class officers the summons to attend will be extended; and whether he will give instruction that so far as is practicable future examinations, both for the supervisorship and the 492 inspectorship, be held in the spring so as to avoid the necessity for a course of close study during the summer months.
(Answered by Mr. McKenna.) (1) The average age of officers attending the examination for the supervisorship is forty-four. (2) Roughly speaking about one-third of the number of candidates are passed. (3) As long a notice as possible is given of the date when the next examination for the supervisorship will be held. In view of the uncertainty of requirements, as resulting from the vacancies that occur, it would be difficult to give as much as six months notice, or to indicate the officers who will be called upon to attend. (4) So far as the Board of Inland Revenue can tell at present, an examination for the supervisorship will be held early in the spring of next year, but it is impossible to state how far down the seniority list the summons to attend will be extended. (5) I understand it would not be practicable, as a general rule, to hold the two examinations in the spring of the year.