§ 42. Mr. JOHN DAVIESasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if any selection of probationers in the Sudan political service has recently taken place; if not, if he will explain why some candidates have already been informed, prior to the first meeting of the Selection Board, that their names had not been included amongst those selected for such appointments; what was the total number of candidates for the recently advertised posts; the number of those to whom such notifications of their applications were sent and the reasons for such rejections; and whether the rejection of candidates before their applications had been considered by the Selection Board is authorised by any and, if so, what Regulation of the Governor-General or of His Majesty's Government.
§ Mr. McNEILLI am unable to say whether the Board which sat on the 27th, 28th, and 29th June has yet made definite recommendations. Before the Board assembles a preliminary selection is made of candidates to go before the Board based upon the detailed information provided in the standard application forms. This procedure, which was laid down by Lord Cromer, has always been followed since recruiting for the Sudan service was first started. I do not possess the information requested in the third and fourth parts of the question, as the Foreign Office has never interfered with the Sudan Government's freedom of action in selecting the personnel for its service.