56. Sir F. HALLasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has introduced into his Department the grade of officials known as chiefs of sections; whether he is aware that there are certain staff officers in the Board of Trade whose work, experience, and abilities qualify them to hold posts as chiefs of sections; whether he is aware that many of his staff are strongly of opinion that the regular shaping of his office into sections under chiefs, as at the Ministry of Labour, would be in consonance with the name and object of his Department, and would prove a strong incentive to the development of administrative abilities in all the staff; and whether he can hold out any hopes that a businesslike reorganisation on these lines will be effected at an early date?
§ Sir A. GEDDESI have not called any grade in the organisation of the Board of Trade, chief of sections, but if anyone specially likes the name I shall be delighted to consider it. But as the National Whitley Council is now considering the question of the grading of the Civil Service, perhaps it would be better to await their Report before taking any general action with regard to renaming the grades of the staff of the Board of Trade.
Sir F. HALLHas it not been found to be much more satisfactory to deal with this matter on the lines on which it has been dealt with by the Ministry of Labour, and would my right hon. Friend 1296 communicate with the Minister of Labour and see whether it is not advisable, in the interests of organisation, to deal with the matter on the same lines?
§ Sir A. GEDDESThe Ministry of Labour was reorganised on lines derived from the Ministry of National Service. I know the organisation very intimately. We have almost a precisely similar organisation in the Hoard of Trade.