§ 63. Mr. Gilzeanasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will permit holders of the senior leaving certificate in Scotland, being the recognised standard of education in that country for normal entry into the executive grade examinations of the Civil Service, to take the executive grade reconstruction examinations without the additional statement from the Scottish Education Department laid down in Paragraph 5 (b) of the regulations.
§ 64. Mr. Willisasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that Scottish applicants desiring to sit for the reconstruction examinations for executive posts in the Civil Service suffer a handicap, as compared with English applicants, in having to obtain a certificate from the Scottish Education Department in addition to the senior leaving certificate; and if he will instruct that applicants in Scot land should be accepted without the necessity of obtaining this additional certificate.
§ Mr. DaltonThe Civil Service Commissioners have made special arrangements, in consultation with the Scottish Education Department, designed to place Scottish and English candidates on an equal footing. I do not propose to alter these arrangements.
§ Mr. GilzeanDoes not my right hon. Friend realise that in Scotland the group leaving certificate is the standard examination, that what is demanded of children is something more than that, and that the consequences are that executive posts in that country go to children whose parents can give them the opportunity of an extra year after they have passed the group leaving certificate examination?
§ Mr. DaltonThis point has been gone into very carefully, and I looked at it again after this Question was put down with a view to ensuring that there should be justice for Scotland in this as in other matters. It is the view of those whose advice I have taken, including the Scot- 1746 tish Education Department, that these arrangements do give that equal opportunity.