§ 26. Brigadier-General CROFTasked the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been called to the fact that officers who have proved their administrative and educational powers during the War are debarred from qualifying examinations and competitions for clerks in the Civil Service under the Board of Education unless they have taken a full university course, have had two years at a university, or entered the forces direct from school; whether this prohibits many desirable candidates from competing; and whether he will take immediate steps to remove this embargo on officers and others who have served in His Majesty's Forces from obtaining such appointments as Civil servants?
§ Mr. BALDWIN (Joint Financial Secretary to the Treasury)I have been requested to reply to this question. I assume that my hon. and gallant Friend refers to the reconstruction scheme for recruiting Class 1 of the Home Civil Service after the War. That scheme provides exceptional facilities for entry into the Civil Service of candidates who have served in His Majesty's Forces, but I am not prepared to relax the educational conditions of the scheme in the case of ex-Service candidates for Class 1 appointments in the Board of Education or any other Department.
§ Brigadier-General CROFTWill this embargo not debar an officer who was precluded from going to a university owing to the War?
§ Mr. BALDWINI think my hon. Friend would be assuming too much to consider that. I do not think there would be the slightest difficulty in getting an ample number of candidates who are both ex-Service men and have the desired qualifications for the First Division. I am only referring to the First Division.