§ 101. Mr. SNOWDENasked whether Mr. Hoste, an assistant clerk in the Estate Duty Office, has recently been appointed a supervising assistant clerk; what length of service he has had as an assistant clerk; what was his salary previous to promotion; what im- 1275 mediate advance did he get on promotion; how many other assistant clerks of longer service were passed over; and what relationship does Mr. Hoste bear to the legal adviser of the Estate Duty Office?
§ Mr. MASTERMANMr. Hoste, an assistant clerk in the Estate Duty Office, has recently been promoted, on the ground of superior ability, to be supervising assistant clerk; his service as assistant clerk was six and a-half years, his salary previous to promotion was 684 12s. a year; he received on promotion an immediate advance of £75 8s. a year; and he passed over thirteen assistant clerks of longer service, of whom, however, nine had already been passed over (some of them many times), and two others were of shorter service than himself in the Estate Duty Office. It has been ascertained, for the purpose of this answer, that Mr. Hoste is a first cousin once removed of the legal adviser to the Estate Duty Office, but the fact was not known at the time of his promotion.