§ MR. WATT (Glasgow, College)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade how many paid appointments were made in Glasgow under his Department in the years 1906 and 1907, respectively; how many of these appointments were given to men resident in Glasgow and district; how many were given to men brought from a distance; and will he say for what class of positions his Department was unable to find suitable applicants in the neighbourhood.
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. KEARLEY,) DevonportFour such appointments were made in each of the two years mentioned, and I understand that four of the persons appointed were residents in the district and four came from outside. With regard to the last paragraph of the Question I would remind my hon. friend that in a service extending over the whole Kingdom it is extremely undesirable in the public interest that appointments at a particular port should be confined to residents in the district. Officers resident in the Glasgow district are not debarred from obtaining promotion at other ports.