§ MR. J. DEVLIN (Belfast, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether the late Treasury Remembrancer, Sir Robert Holmes, had still a year to serve in his office before he could be retired under the 65 rule; whether he had, before he resigned his office, accepted a directorship of the Bank of Ireland; whether this was contrary to the regulations of the Civil Service; and whether the fact that this resignation had been received or tendered was not announced to the public, in order to keep the applications for the office confined to a small area of Treasury clerks.
§ Mr. HOBHOUSESir Robert Holmes will attain the age of sixty-five in December next. He intimated to the Treasury in March last his desire to resign, and he was only retained in office after his election as a director of the Bank of Ireland until his successor could be appointed. It is not usual to announce such resignations to the public; and there is no foundation for the suggestion in the last paragraph of the Question.
§ MR. MOONEYDid Sir Robert Holmes, while still a Civil servant, inform the Treasury that he had accepted the appointment of a director of the Bank of Ireland, or did the Treasury first get the information from an outside source and call on him to resign the Remembrancer-ship?
§ MR. HOBHOUSEI understand that Sir Robert himself communicated to the Treasury the fact of his election, and they did not first learn it from an outside source.
§ MR. MOONEYDid he inform the Treasury of his intention to become a director before his actual appointment?
§ MR. HOBHOUSEI understand that he did so.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLIs there not a distinct rule in the Civil Service precluding any Civil servant from becoming a director of a public company? Why was Sir Robert allowed to remain after he had accepted such a position?
§ MR. HOBHOUSEHe only remained for the convenience of winding up the business of his office, and then it was for but a fortnight.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLWhen Mr. MacCartney was appointed Deputy Master of the Mint he had to resign his directorship on the London and North Western Railway at once.