§ MR. FIELDTo ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether three clerks in 1811 the Colonial Audit Branch, who never passed Civil Service examinations for their positions and who were on a scale of salary £ 70–£ 5–£ l00, precisely the same as the Second Division scale, were, with less than six years service in the case of one, and with less than two years service in the case of the other two, promoted to £100 per annum as from 1st July, 1906; and, if so, seeing that there were four acting examiners in this branch with less than £100 per annum, and with four to five years service, who passed Civil Service examinations and who were doing precisely the same kind of work as their more favoured colleagues, will he explain why these acting examiners were not promoted to £100 per annum on 1st July, 1906, and why the other three were so promoted.
§ (Answered by Mr. Runciman.) On the amalgamation of the Colonial Audit Branch with the Exchequer and Audit Department the three clerks in question were already members of the Colonial Audit Branch staff, and, on selection for the post of examiners, became entitled to the initial scale of the post, namely, £100 a year. The four other clerks referred to were clerks of the Second Division temporarily lent from the main office, and are not eligible for appointment as examiners until after the completion of eight years service.