§ 20. Mr. R. MORRISONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that certain clerical positions have recently been declared vacant at Trinity House and clerical officers brought in from the Civil Service to replace the temporary staff, who are thus being superseded by persons who have never been in the Trinity House service; and whether he will make inquiries into the matter and see whether it is possible to give temporary staff at Trinity House similar treatment to that which has been given to temporary clerks in the Civil Service, namely, that the vacancies in the clerical positions should be open for competition to the temporary staff actually filling such positions at the time?
Mr. WEBBI am informed by the Corporation of Trinity House that vacancies for clerical officers are filled strictly in accordance with the terms of the Order-in-Council dated 14th December, 1922, dealing with the re-organisation of the Trinity House staff. This Order provides that all persons appointed to clerical and other posts at Trinity House "shall pass such examination as may be arranged, and such examination shall be held under conditions which arc similar to those for candidates sitting for examinations for similar posts in the Civil Service." Every temporary clerk at Trinity House has been given the opportunity of corn peting at one of the examinations held by the Civil Service Commissioners, but those who have offered themselves for examination have failed to qualify.