§ 81. Mr. Edeasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the Institute of Bankers, which last year arranged examinations for more than 14,000 bank clerks throughout Great Britain, has decided that war-time conditions shall not prevent the examinations from being held this year; and whether he will ascertain whether their arrangements to this end can be copied by the Civil Service Commission in the case of Civil Service examinations?
§ Captain CrookshankThe examination to which the hon. Member refers is, I understand, an examination of a qualifying character open to members of the Institute of Bankers. I do not consider that there is any real analogy between an examination of such a character and the open competitive examinations held by the Civil Service Commissioners.
§ Mr. MaxtonDoes the right hon. and gallant Gentleman say that to examine 14,000 candidates in banking is a less difficult task than examining candidates for the Civil Service?
§ Captain CrookshankThe hon. Gentleman, I think, missed the point of the adjectives I used. One was "qualifying" and the other "competitive."
§ Mr. McGovernTeach them social credit.
§ Mr. MaxtonI may be very dull, but would the right hon. and gallant Gentleman tell me what is the difficulty in organising one kind of examination as compared with the other?
§ Captain CrookshankYes, Sir. If the hon. Gentleman likes to put down a question, I will give him a full reply.