HC Deb 01 July 1931 vol 254 cc1281-2
68. Sir F. HALL

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the imminence of the report of the Royal Commission on the Civil Service and the possible absorption of ex-service men to established posts in the Civil Service, the former procedure will be adopted in the matter of extension of the list of successful candidates at the open competition for boys and girls held in January, 1931, for admission to the established clerical classes; and what is the policy of the Government in respect of future open competitive examination for these classes?

Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCE

I am not proposing to offer appointments to competitors at the examination to which the hon. and gallant Member refers in ex- cess of the number so far declared successful until I have had an opportunity of considering the report of the Royal Commission. I shall also await the report before considering further the policy to be adopted as regards the future of this examination.

Sir F. HALL

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that in previous examinations those who were not successful were put on established rank while ex-service men who had carried out their work satisfactorily did not have the same advantage, and will he see that this does not occur again?

Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCE

I think the hon. and gallant Gentleman knows that the word "successful" is misleading in that respect. I have explained on several occasions in this House that it is used in a special sense in this connection. But I have already given an assurance on what I understood to be his main request that, pending the report of the Royal Commission, I shall not take the steps to which he takes exception.

Sir F. HALL

Does not the word "successful" mean those who have attained a certain number of marks?

Mr. PEITHICK-LAWRENCE

No, it does not mean that. The word "successful" is applied to those candidates for whom places can be found at once. It frequently happens that candidates who would be regarded as successful in the ordinary sense of the word by qualifying in the matter of marks, are not found places at once and are called unsuccessful for that reason.

Mr. W. J. BROWN

Since there is an obvious anomaly in discharging men from the Civil Service with one hand and bringing them in with the other, could you not at least avoid going down the successful list and expanding it? The hon. Gentleman knows as well as I do that he has a very wide discretion on this matter.