§ 60. Mr. KELLYasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether surveyors' clerks for many years in the service of the Air Ministry are eligible for and given promotion to the position of assistant surveyor; whether any limitations as to age and examinations have been placed upon surveyors' clerks to prevent them securing promotion to the position of assistant surveyor; and, if so, what percentage of these men is affected?
§ Mr. MONTAGUEThe normal method of filling vacancies for assistant surveyors in the Air Ministry is by open competition with an age limit, but surveyors' clerks who are considered to be qualified in all respects to carry out 430 assistant surveyors' duties may be specially promoted to that grade even though they have passed the prescribed age limit. During the last seven years, five surveyors' clerks have thus been specially promoted to the grade of assistant surveyor. Apart from such special promotions, surveyors' clerks-already in the service of the Air Ministry are eligible to take part in the-open competitions if by age and in other respects they satisfy the regulations. As regards the last part of the question, 39 of the 46 surveyors' clerks now serving are debarred from competing by reason of age.
§ Mr. KELLYIn view of the long service of these clerks, might not this age limit be removed when they are efficient in all other directions?