HC Deb 14 April 1908 vol 187 cc988-92
MR. FIELD

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether the members of the old examiner class in the Exchequer and Audit Department at the time of the 1905 reorganisation were informed by the Comptroller and Auditor-General that facilities would be given them if they wished to retire, as they could expect to derive no benefit from the then contemplated reorganisation; if so, whether he will explain how the holding out of these facilities and of no prospects of advancement were in the interests of these officials; and whether he will further explain how this procedure can be reconciled with the subsequent promotion of two members of this class.

(Answered by Mr. Runciman.) I beg to refer the hon. Member to my replies of 24th June and 6th August last, to which I have nothing to add.

MR. FIELD

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury why Messrs. Baker M'Kown, Hunt, Corbet, Adams, and Pool were recently passed over in making promotions in the Exchequer and Audit Department; and whether, having regard to the discontent caused in departments generally, and in this department in particular, since the appointment of the present Assistant Comptroller and Auditor, by the present system of selection in making promotions, he will endeavour to induce the Government to set up a special Court of Appeal to whom aggrieved Civil servants may refer their cases when they think heads of Departments have acted vindictively or unjustly towards them.

MR. FIELD

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether, seeing that Messrs. Knowles, Hurley, and Brown, of the Exchequer and Audit Department, were passed over for promotion on 1st November last, that their principal clerks admitted that they had not been consulted with reference to such promotions from 1st November, 1906, to 1st November, 1907, and that the comparative merits of members of any Department can be known only by the respective chiefs under whom they immediately serve, he will now cause an independent inquiry to be made into the subject of such promotions in the Exchequer and Audit Department.

MR. FIELD

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will explain the system of promotion in the Exchequer and Audit Department under which Messrs. Reynolds, Day, Rainbott, Litten, Borthwick, Cope, Varian, Cato, and Smith have recently been passed over; and, seeing that the passing over of capable and efficient officers causes much unrest amongst these and other members of this Department and militates against its efficiency, and that a reference to the Comptroller and Auditor-General will merely produce a defence of his own action, will he cause independent inquiry to be made, with a view to the securing of an impartial judgment on the subject.

(Answered by Mr. Runciman.) For an Answer to these three Questions I must refer the hon. Member to my reply of 28th August last. To that reply I have nothing to add except to express my regret that the forms of the House should be used to cast an imputation, which I believe to be wholly unfounded, on an official of so high character and. with so distinguished a record as the Assistant Comptroller and Auditor. I see no reason for the suggested inquiry.

MR. FIELD

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether the son of the Comptroller and Auditor-General's private secretary failed to pass the preliminary examination for the Second Division, which consisted of three subjects, handwriting, orthography, and simple arithmetic, the examiners being the Civil Service Commissioners; if so, will he say what were the subjects of the educational test this nominated gentleman passed on entering the old Colonial Audit Branch, and who were the examiners; and whether this gentleman has now the option of serving in the newly amalgamated Colonial Audit Branch and Exchequer and Audit Department on similar duties to those performed by his open-competition contemporaries, but with nearly twice the salary of any one of them.

(Answered by Mr. Runciman.) The suggestions in the Question are entirely without foundation.

MR. FIELD

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether, in reference to a request for investigation into the cases of men in the Exchequer and Audit Department who have been passed over for promotion, and which involved the mention of their names, he will say if any of these men have spontaneously come forward and expressed disapproval of this request for investigation; and, seeing that the future career of all the men passed over is largely in the hands of their principal clerks, and that the principal clerk of the Fifth Division of the Exchequer and Audit Department sent for certain of these men who work under him and asked them whether they disapproved of this request for investigation, will he say whether it is intended to attach any importance to any expression of disapproval obtained under such circumstances; and whether the Comptroller and Auditor-General or the Assistant Comptroller and Auditor were aware of the action of the principal clerk referred to.

(Answered by Mr. Runciman.) The facts are misrepresented in the Question, but many of the officers mentioned have come forward and expressed their strong objection to the unauthorised use of their names by the hon. Member.

MR. FIELD

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether the present Assistant Comptroller and Auditor was appointed by the permanent officials of the Treasury; what positions did he occupy prior to his present appointment, and for what length of time did he hold each of such positions; and what were his qualifications for the post of Assistant Comptroller and Auditor.

(Answered by Mr. Runciman.) The Assistant Comptroller and Auditor-General was appointed by the Crown on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, and there is no foundation for the suggestion in the first part of the Question. I do not think that any useful purpose would be served by making inquiries on the other matters referred to by the hon. Member.

MR. FIELD

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether, seeing that the present Comptroller and Auditor-General on his appointment entered into a compact with the Treasury to retire at the age of sixty-five, he will state the age of this gentleman; and whether he intends to adhere to the terms of this compact.

MR. FIELD

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether, seeing that the present Comptroller and Auditor-General on his appointment entered into a compact with the Treasury to retire at the age of sixty-five, he will say if the terms of this compact further included the stipulation that he was to act as the nominal head of the Exchequer and Audit Department, and that the Assistant Comptroller and Auditor should be the actual head.

(Answered by Mr. Runciman.) I have nothing to add to the numerous replies already given on this subject.

MR. FIELD

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will state the actual hours of attendance of the principal clerk of the Fifth Division in the Exchequer and Audit Department, his actual hours of attendance as secretary to the Royal Almoner, and the annual emoluments he receives for each of those two positions.

(Answered by Mr. Runciman.) This officer, like all other members of the Department, is required to give a daily attendance of seven hours. The scales of pay of principal clerks in the Exchequer and Audit Department are shown in the Parliamentary Estimates. I have no information as to the emoluments of the secretary of the Lord High Almoner, which are not provided out of voted moneys, nor as to the attendance required, which, as I have previously informed the hon. Member, is performed outside the regular office hours.