§ 42. Mr. BRACEasked the President of the Board of Trade how many applications were received from Post Office employés in Wales (male) for the vacancies of inspectors, assistant inspectors, and health insurance officers under the National Health Commission (Wales), in response to the invitation published in Post Office Circular, No. 2031, on 23rd January, 1912, and how many appointments, if any, were given to employés of the Post Office in Wales, and, if none, will he state the reason; will he say whether the Health Insurance Commissioners of Wales decided not to allocate any of the appointments referred to above to officers below the rank of second division clerks; and, in view of the fact that this particular class for Post Office purposes is exclusively employed in London, under what circumstances did the Welsh Commissioners come to a decision to exclude from such appointments made under the National Insurance Act members of the existing Post Office service in Wales?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI am not aware of the number of applications for such positions received from Post Office employés in Wales. No member of the outdoor staff was at the time of appointment employed in a Post Office in Wales, but all applications received equal consideration on their merits, and I would remind my hon. Friend that it was the duty of those making the appointments to select the best men available for the work, and not to distribute any definite proportion among different Government offices. The Welsh Insurance Commissioners have not come to any such decisions as those suggested in the question.