§ MR. FIELDTo ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether the son of the private secretary to the Comptroller and Auditor-General, who never passed a Civil Service examination for his position and who has only sixteen years service, was transferred from London, where his salary was about £270 per annum, to Gibraltar, with annual emoluments amount I ting to £436; and, if so, seeing that the object in transferring him to Gibraltar was in order to re-transfer him back to London later on on promotion as chief examiner at his Colonial rate of pay over the heads of officers with twice his service, will he say whether the Imperial Government paid the expenses of this official from London to Gibraltar and also the expenses of the official who was instructed to return from Gibraltar to London in order to make room for him.
(Answered by Mr. Runciman.) The officer referred to was selected for the post in question with due regard both to seniority and efficiency, and the statement in the second part of the Question is without foundation. The expenses referred to have not been borne by Imperial funds.