HC Deb 04 May 1906 vol 156 cc844-7
MR. C. DUNCAN (Barrow-in-Furness)

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether the departures by the Board of Customs from the terms of the Treasury Minute of the 24th March 1891, relating to an inquiry by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Financial Secretary into the administration of the Customs Department, have been sanctioned by the House of Commons; and whether, in view of the effect of these departures affecting the appointment of officers to collectorships, acting, and import gauging, on the promotion of the officers concerned, he proposes to take any steps in the matter.

(Answered by Mr. McKenna.) The Customs in their interpretation and application of the Minute have acted with the concurrence of the Treasury. It is not usual, nor would it be practicable, to require such matters of administration to be decided by the House of Commons.

MR. C. DUNCAN

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury, what was the average service of Customs second class examining officers, as such, on promotion to the first class at the time of the Goschen Inquiry, in 1890 and in 1897 respectively; and whether he proposes to take any steps to secure that Mr. Goschen's promise of more rapid promotion shall be fulfilled.

(Answered by Mr. McKenna.) The average service of Customs second class examining officers, as such, on promotion to the first class was, for the years stated, as follows:—;

1890 13 years l⅓ months.
1897 15 years 4 months.
It should, however, be added that the number of officers so promoted in these years was—;
1890 16
1897 32
For last year, 1905, the promotions numbered thirty-five, with an average service of thirteen years two and a quarter months. Since the date when the Goschen Minute was brought into full effect the prospects of second class examining officers have been improved

Year. Number of examining officers, second class, on establishment. Superior posts in direct line of promotion. per cent.
1892–3 872 346 39.6
Present time. 834 380 45.5

The cases of certain officers whose promotion was delayed in a manner that was not foreseen at the time of the inquiry have been met by granting special allowances of £7 10s. and £15 a year, and a higher maximum salary of £250 instead of £220 has been granted to the whole class.

MR. C. DUNCAN

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the Goschen Minute of 1891 recommended the appointment of Customs officers from the outdoor department to collectorships; will he say how many such appointments were made during the first seven years of the administration of this Minute; how many

Period. Total Number of Appointments to Collectorships. Number who were appointed to Collectorships direct from the Outdoor Department. Number who entered as Outdoor Officers and were appointed to Collectorships after passing through one or more other grades.
Entered originally as Clerk. Entered originally as outdoor officer.
March 1891 to March 1898 28 1 1 5
March 1898 to date 46 6 3 12
Total 74 7 4 17
11

Since 1890 at least twelve members of the outdoor department have refused collectorships. This subject was fully discussed in an Answer given by the Financial Secretary of the day to a

as regards superior appointments to the following extent: —;

collectors have been appointed since 1891 to the present time; and how many of these were selected from the outdoor department. (Answered by Mr. McKenna.) The Treasury Minute of March 24th, 1891, recommended that promotion should be made from the class of surveyors to collectorships when the public interest allowed. Of course this recommendation did not mean that collectors should be drawn exclusively from the class of surveyors, but only that that class should enjoy prospects from which they had previously been debarred. The numbers asked for in the latter part of the Question are as follows:—;

Question in this House on March 24th, 1896,† and I have nothing further to add to his remarks.

† See (4) Debates, xxxix., 48.

MR. C. DUNCAN

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the Goschen Minute condemned acting, i.e., the employment of officers of an inferior grade on duties appertaining to a superior one, in the Customs Department; and whether he will furnish a Return showing the number of days on which assistants of Customs were employed on examining officers' duties during the past twelve months in the ports of Leith, Glasgow, and Bristol.

(Answered by Mr. McKenna.) The Treasury Minute recognised that "in all public departments the duties of superior officers temporarily absent must be discharged by subordinates who act for them, and thereby receive a valuable training in the work of the higher appointments to which they may eventually succeed," and the principle thus enunciated has, in regard to the extent of "acting" in the Customs Department, been carefully adhered to since the date of the Minute quoted. In the following tabular statement are given the par-

Port. Number of assistants at ports. Number of days of "acting" performed by assistants. Average number of days of "acting" for each assistant during year.
Leith 10 350 35‡
Glasgow 25 418 16
Bristol 13 226 17