§ 13. Sir WILFRID SUGDENasked the Minister of Health how many members of the established general clerical class are performing the same duties as S-class clerks in his Department; and what length of time is required for heads of sections to state how many S-class clerks are performing the same duties as clerical officers employed in the same sections?
Sir HILTON YOUNGThe members of the established general clerical class at present employed in my Department are substantially engaged on the duties as laid down in the report of the Reorganisation Committee of 1920, of which I am sending my hon. Friend a copy. S-class clerks normally are employed on routine duties comparable with those assigned to writing assistants or on the more mechanical duties assignable to the clerical class. In reply to the second part of his question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given him on 13th December.
§ 14. Sir W. SUGDENasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the promotion of many ex-service S-class clerks in his Department has been stopped since October,1931, whereas promotions have taken place in higher and lower grades; and will he arrange for all S-class clerks who have been performing clerical class duties for several years to be promoted to vacancies in the established general clerical class and for no new entrant clerical officers to be employed until such S-class clerks have been promoted?
Sir H. YOUNGOwing to the contraction of clerical staff in my Department it has not been necessary to fill vacancies in that class until recently, when a small batch of writing assistants and shorthand typists were promoted. A number of promotions have been made to higher grades, partly to fill vacancies caused by retirement and partly to meet additional work appropriate to those grades. As my hon. Friend was in formed in answer to his question on the 13th December, a review of the work of the whole of the S-class clerks in my Department is now being made, and, pending its completion, I regret I am unable to make any statement in regard to the promotion of S-class clerks or other grades eligible for promotion, nor can I give an undertaking such as is referred to in the last part of the question.
§ 15. Sir W. SUGDENasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that a number of the writing assistants recently promoted to the established general clerical class in his Department have been trained in their new duties by ex- 1457 service S-class clerks whose promotion has been stopped since October, 1931; and will he take steps, in view of the efficiency and length of service of these ex-service men, to have them promoted to the established general clerical class?
Sir H. YOUNGThe writing assistants recently promoted to the established general clerical class in my Department have not been trained in their new duties by ex-service S-class clerks whose promotion has been stopped since October, 1931. The second part of the question does not, therefore, arise.