HC Deb 11 December 1928 vol 223 cc1911-3
58. Mr. BRIANT

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of candidates, male and female, respectively, declared unsuccessful at the examination held in March, 1928, for appointments in the clerical grade who have since received appointments as clerical officers?

Mr. SAMUEL

66 male candidates and 24 female candidates originally declared unsuccessful have since received appointments as clerical officers or the offer of such appointments.

59. Mr. BRIANT

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the place taken in the clerical examination of March, 1928, by the most recently appointed woman candidate and the most recently appointed male candidate, the percentage of possible marks obtained by such candidates, and the Departments to which they were assigned?

Mr. SAMUEL

As the answer to this question involves a table, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the table:

Viscount WOLMER

No, Sir.

Mr. PALING

Does this mean that the Post Office is discharging men at the time when the Prime Minister is issuing pathetic appeals to employers to take men on?

Viscount WOLMER

The Post Office, like every other employer, has to relate the number of its employés to the amount of work to be done.

Mr. PALING

Was the Prime Minister aware of that before he issued his appeal?

Mr. MORRISON

Is it not possible for the Noble Lord to give the number of people who have been discharged from a Department for which he is responsible? Surely he knows?

Viscount WOLMER

But the hon. Member asks in his question for the number of men who have been discharged as a result of the discontinuance of football competitions in newspapers, and it is rather difficult to divide up the work of the Post Office into compartments in that way. If, however, the hon. Member would like me to give him such figures as I can, I will go into the matter further.

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