§ 87. Mr. RONALD M'NEILLasked whether, under the scheme of amalgation of the Customs and Excise Departments, officers who originally entered the outdoor Customs by open competition, and afterwards successfully competed for and entered the Excise, will for purposes of seniority and promotion be placed in a position inferior to that of their contemporaries in the Customs who tried but failed to pass into the Excise; whether, as a result of the amalgamation, certain of these Excise officers are now in receipt of smaller salaries than are their Customs colleagues referred to; and whether the right hon. Gentleman will give instructions that seniority in the case of all these officers shall be reckoned as from the date of their original entry into the Customs, and that a new scale of salaries shall be fixed in which regard shall be had to the time spent and the experience gained by them in that branch of the amalgamated service?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEIt may be the case that some of the few officers who in the past voluntarily left the Customs service and entered at the bottom of the Excise service are slightly worse off now than their former contemporaries who remained in the Customs; but I am afraid that I cannot adopt the suggestion made in the last paragraph of the question.
§ Mr. R. M'NEILLDo not the facts apply to only a very few individuals who have a very serious grievance, and could not the right hon. Gentleman give them an answer?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI will consider the matter.