§ 79. Mr. CHARLES DUNCANasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the fact that the promotion of an assistant clerk to the second division is the reward of special merit, he will recommend the abolition of the qualifying examination fee of 30s., which imposes a considerable hardship on a poorly paid body of Civil servants?
Mr. ROBERTSONThe fee in question represents the difference between the fee for the assistant clerks examination and the fee which is paid by candidates at the open competition for the second division. The Treasury are not prepared to abolish this fee, particularly pending the Report of the Royal Commission on the whole question of the recruitment of the Civil Service.
§ Mr. C. DUNCANCan the hon. Gentleman say when the Report is likely to be issued?
§ 80. Mr. C. DUNCANasked what is the number of assistant clerks promoted to the second division in each of the last five years; in how many cases certificates of qualification have been issued without further examination; and on what grounds exemptions were made?
Mr. ROBERTSONI will circulate a statement with regard to the first two parts of the question. The usual grounds for exemption were the age of the candidate or the fact that he had already passed in the required subjects at examinations held by the Civil Service Commissioners which he had attended on previous occasions.
| Number of Promotions. | Number not required to undergo Examination. | ||||||
| 1908 | … | … | 33 | … | … | … | 12 |
| 1909 | … | … | 44 | … | … | … | 8 |
| 1910 | … | … | 28 | … | … | … | 10 |
| 1911 | … | … | 67 | … | … | … | 26 |
| 1911 | … | … | 72 | … | … | … | 37 |
§ —[See Written Answers this date.]
§ 81. Mr. C. DUNCANasked whether any established officers of the Civil Service, other than assistant clerks, are required to pass an examination in purely scholastic subjects in order to obtain the promotions for which they have been recommended on the grounds of special merit and ability?
Mr. ROBERTSONEstablished Civil servants, other than assistant clerks, if nominated for promotion on the ground of special merit and ability, under the provisions of Clause 7 of the Order in Council of 10th January, 1910, are treated in the matter of examination on the same lines as assistant clerks. The Civil Service Commissioners, in deciding whether such candidates should be required to undergo any, and, if so, what examination, take into consideration all the circumstances of each case, including the age of the candidate and his performances at previous examinations.
§ 82. Mr. C. DUNCANasked what is the number of assistant clerks who have failed to pass the qualifying examinations for second division clerkships after having been recommended for those positions by the heads of their Departments and with the sanction of the Lords of the Treasury?
Mr. ROBERTSONDuring the last five years twenty-eight assistant clerks nominated for promotion in the second division failed to pass the qualifying examination. Most of them were renominated, and all but seven have since passed the examination and been promoted.