§ MR. WATT (Glasgow, College)To ask the Secretary of State for the Home 709 Department whether the principle of nomination for permission to sit at public competitive examinations for inspectorships and assistant inspectorships of factories still exists in his department; if so, will he say what are the advantages to the country in so restricting these examinations to those who have influence; and whether he will make these appointments in future open to merit apart from social status.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Gladstone.) The Answer to the first part of the Question is in the affirmative. The Answer to the second part is that the hon. Member is under a complete misapprehension in supposing that social influence has anything whatever to do with the selection of a candidate. If my hon. friend will refer to the debate on the Home Office Estimates on the 18th July 1907, he will see in detail the arguments for the present system.