§ MR. SUMMERBELLI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury if he can state whether, when the coastguard service is transferred to the Customs, men in the former service will be promoted to higher positions in the Customs waterguard without the usual examination in force for such promotions; and whether he will consider the possibility of recruiting the positions in the upper and lower sections of preventive officers from the existing waterguard staff, with a view to somewhat relieving the existing stagnation of promotion among both the preventive officers and preventive men graders.
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. HOBHOUSE,) Bristol, E.A Bill will be necessary to give effect to any amalgamation, and under these circumstances I would prefer not to make any definite statement on the subject.