Mr. EDMUND HARVEYasked what restrictions are placed upon the appointment of first division Civil servants in the Foreign Office which do not apply to the other principal offices in the Civil Service; how long these limitations have been in force; and whether the Government have considered the desirability of removing them?
§ Sir E. GREYCandidates for clerkships in the Foreign Office must be nominated by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and then undergo a competitive examination. This limitation of open competition has always been in force, and the principle of entry into the Foreign Office and Diplomatic Service by limited competition was recognised by the Royal Commission on Civil Establishments (Paragraph 25 of Fourth Report, 1890). It is not proposed to alter the present system.
§ Mr. T. E. HARVEYDoes the limitation also confine the appointments to applicants possessed of certain private income?
§ Sir E. GREYI would ask the hon. Member to give notice of that question?
§ Mr. T. E. HARVEYI gave notice of this in my question.
§ Sir E. GREYNo. I do not see anything about income in the question. I did not regard the question as directing my attention to that point. I understood the hon. 1355 Member to ask whether there was open competition or whether the appointments were made by nomination.
§ Mr. T. E. HARVEYI will put a further question on the subject.
§ Mr. WATTMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the principle of filling appointments by nomination has extended in his office since 1906?
§ Sir E. GREYThe principle, I understand, before 1906 was that nomination was given by selection from the list made by the Secretary of State. The only recent change has been that now nomination is given to candidates who are on the list, and selection is made by the Board of Selection and not by the Secretary of State personally.