§ Lord ALEXANDER THYNNEasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any appointments under the Development and Road Improvement Funds Act have been filled otherwise than by promotion from the Indian, Colonial, or Home Civil Services, or by competitive or qualifying examinations; and whether he is in a position to estimate the probable number of appointments that it will be necessary to make during the current financial year for the purposes of the before-mentioned Act?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEUnder the provisions of Section 3 (5) of the Development and Road Improvement Funds Act, 1909, the Development Commissioners are empowered, with the consent of the Treasury, to appoint such officers and servants as they think necessary. No examination, competitive or qualifying, is required by the Act, nor is it necessary that the persons appointed should have served either in the Indian, Colonial, or Home Civil Services. The Noble Lord will readily understand that until the Act has been longer in operation it is not easy to estimate what staff will be required.
§ Lord CASTLEREAGHCan the right hon. Gentleman give the House any idea of the number of the appointments?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGENo; but if the Noble Lord puts down a question I will inquire.
§ Lord ALEXANDER THYNNECan the right hon. Gentleman give any reason for the differentiation in this respect between one Government Department and another?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI am not aware that there is any differentiation at all. The Noble Lord asked me a question as to the administering of an Act of Parliament, and I pointed out that it was being administered in conformity with the principles laid down.
§ Lord ALEXANDER THYNNEI wanted to ask the right hon. Gentleman why it should be necessary to pass a competitive examination to enter the Board of Trade, the Home Office, or any similar Government Departments, and not necessary to pass a competitive examination for the new Department which the right hon. Gentleman has just created?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThat is a question the Noble Lord should have put when the Act was going through.
§ Lord ALEXANDER THYNNEI was not in the House.
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEOne reason was that there has been no time to set up a special examination for the purpose.
§ Lord ALEXANDER THYNNEIs it proposed to institute a competitive examination at a future date for these appointments?
§ Mr. PRETYMANIs there not a general examination for the different Departments of the Civil Service, from 1339 which persons who are examined are passed on to the Department for which they may be required?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThere are great portions of the Service, as the hon. Member knows perfectly well, where there is no examination at all. With regard to the question put by the Noble Lord, if he gives me notice I will try and get an answer later.
§ NEW MEMBER SWORN.—Major Christian Henry Charles Guest, commonly called the Hon. Christian Henry Charles Guest for the County of Dorset (Eastern Division), in the room of Captain the Hon. Frederick Edward Guest, whose election has been declared to be void.