§ MR. PARKER (Halifax)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, in view of the fact that an examination for seventy vacancies in the Second Division has been announced by the Civil Service Commissioners, if he will state whether there are any new class assistant clerks serving in those Departments of the State in which such vacancies exist who are efficiently performing duties similar to those on which their Second Division colleagues are employed; whether any 495 such assistant clerks are eligible for promotion to the Second Division; and, if so, whether he will consider the desirability of arranging that some of the Second Division appointments now vacant should be given to such eligible assistant clerks.
§ MR. RUNCIMANPromotions of assistant clerks can only be made in cases of exceptional merit and upon the recommendation of the head of the Department. Any such recommendations will be carefully considered, but I cannot undertake to adopt the course suggested by the hon. Member.