§ 60. Captain ELLISTONasked the Minister of Health whether the age of entry for accountancy appointments at the Ministry can be extended so that qualified members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants can compete for vacancies on the audit staff of the Ministry after they have attained the age of 21 years?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY OF HEALTH (Mr. Shakespeare)The District Audit Staff of the Ministry is recruited from candidates successful at open competitive examinations held by the Civil Service Commissioners, for which the maximum age limit is 19. These are examinations for the Civil Service generally, and it would be impracticable to extend the age limit for any one class of appointment. My right hon. Friend is satisfied, as the result of careful consideration, and after experience of the recruitment of candidates by other methods, and at higher ages, that this is a satisfactory way of providing an efficient District Audit staff.
§ Captain ELLISTONDoes the hon. Gentleman think it satisfactory that for a few years no member of his audit staff should have won their complete professional qualifications such as are required for all accountants in private practice?
§ Mr. SHAKESPEAREI should be happy to discuss that point with my hon. and gallant Friend.
§ Mr. RHYS DAVIESIs the hon. Gentleman aware that no member of the Civil Service can become a chartered or an incorporated accountant, and that young men with those qualifications cannot hope to secure positions under the Government; and is he aware that Government Departments are the only businesses in the whole of the country from which they are debarred?
§ Mr. SHAKESPEAREI am quite aware of all that, but I cannot treat a particular class in a favoured way.
§ Mr. H. WILLIAMSDoes not the same regulation apply to medical men, who as a rule do not qualify until they are over 21?