§ 44. Mr. W. GRAHAMasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that, according to present Regulations governing the admission of discharged and demobilised men to various Civil Service examinations, systematic and continuous education up to the age of eighteen years is required, on the ground that this is essential to supply the trained mind necessary for the Civil Service; whether this Regulation is unjustly penalising large numbers of competent discharged and demobilised men who happen to have engaged in various occupations after leaving school and be fore joining the forces by debarring them from entrance for such examinations; and whether, in view of the foregoing facts, he will take steps to have this Regulation withdrawn?
§ Mr. BALDWINAs I explained in reply to the hon. and gallant Member for Islington North, on the 11th March last, the normal competitive examinations for entry into the higher grades of the Civil. 1153 Service have temporarily been replaced by a system of selection and in order to keep the work of the selection boards within reasonable dimensions, it has been necessary to prescribe some educational qualifications for candidates comparable with those possessed by successful candidates in pre-war competitions. The number of candidates who comply with this condition is very large, and I do not agree that men who do not possess the necessary educational qualifications are in any way unjustly penalised.
§ Mr. HOGGEIs the position of the Treasury this. Young boys who joined the Army and were capable of passing Civil Service examinations are debarred from applying for the Civil Service because they have not been continuously educated up to eighteen, although they have fought continuously from eighteen?