§ 31. Miss HORSBRUGHasked the President of the Board of Trade how many full-time examiners were employed on examination work in Scotland for masters' and mates' certificates during the year 1931; what number it is anticipated will be similarly employed under the new scheme of concentration of examinations in Glasgow; and what amount will be thereby saved in salaries?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANTwo full-time examiners were employed in Scotland in 1931 in examining candidates for masters' and mates' certificates. Under the concentration scheme there will be one full-time examiner. The estimated saving on examiners' salaries will be about £500 a year.
§ 32. Miss HORSBRUGHasked the President of the Board of Trade how much was received during 1931 in fees from candidates for examination in Great Britain for masters' and mates' certificates?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe fees received from candidates for examination for masters' and mates' certificates during the financial year ended 31st March, 1932, amounted to £3,132.
§ Miss HORSBRUGHAs the number of candidates must have been nearly 3,000, would the right hon. Gentleman consider raising the fee for the examination rather than closing down centres, and so spread the burden over many more candidates?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI will look into that matter and see how it would work out.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODWould it not be better if the Minister made the examination stiffer instead of raising the fees?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe examinations are now conducted on a schedule that was settled three years ago. I could not propose to revise it again so soon.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODIt is my class that is affected here. It will make it more difficult for them to be masters or mates if the fees are raised.
§ Mr. DEVLINIs the right hon. Gentleman aware of the profound dissatisfaction in the North of Ireland in consequence of closing these examination centres, and 658 have not representations been made to him pointing out the inconvenience, which is not compensated for by the small saving the Government make by closing down the establishment at Belfast?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI should prefer to describe it as a, concentration of the examination centres rather than closing down. There is a considerable saving in this concentration, and it also makes for a much better organisation of the staff as a whole.
§ Mr. DEVLINDoes not the right hon. Gentleman know perfectly well that great inconvenience is caused by closing down the only examination centre in Ireland—in Belfast—and compelling candidates to come over here and submit themselves for examination? May I also ask whether this is not the only opportunity we have of raising a protest, although we have made private representations to the right hon. Gentleman and his Department?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI have answered a good many questions on this subject in various parts of the country during the last few weeks.
§ Mr. DEVLINWill the right hon. Gentleman make an exception, considering the exceptional circumstances and conditions in Northern Ireland, and allow the examination still to proceed at Belfast and not compel candidates to come over to England?