HC Deb 22 October 1946 vol 427 cc1485-6
78. Lieut.-Colonel

Lipton asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury to what extent the nationality at birth of one or other parent is taken into account in dealing with British-born applicants for Civil Service appointments.

Mr. Glenvil Hall

As the answer to the Question is rather long, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the information:

The nationality rule governing permanent appointments to the Civil Service is as follows:

12. Every candidate for appointment shall satisfy the Commissioners that he is either:

  1. (i) a natural born British subject—
    1. (a) having at least one parent who is or was at the time of death a British subject; or
    2. (b) of any other parentage, provided that he has resided in His Majesty's Dominions and /or been employed elsewhere in the service of the Crown for at least five years out of the last eight years preceding the date of his appointment, or
  2. (ii) a naturalised British subject who has resided in His Majesty's Dominions and/or been employed elsewhere in the service of the Crown for at least five years out of the last eight years preceding the date of his appointment; or
  3. (iii) a British subject who, although not fulfilling the requirements of paragraph (i) or paragraph (ii), satisfied the Commissioners that he is so closely connected 1486 with His Majesty's Dominions either by ancestry, upbringing or residence, or by reason- of national service, that an exception may properly be made in his favour.
Provided that a candidate will not be eligible for appointment to the Foreign Office or services under the control of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, or to the Admiralty, War Office, Air Ministry, or Ministry of Supply, unless he is a natural born British subject and born within the United Kingdom or in one of the self-governing Dominions of parents also born within the United Kingdom or in one of the self-governing Dominions, except when the circumstances are such as to justify a departure from the general rule in which case, provided the candidate satisfies the conditions prescribed by the preceding paragraphs, he may be admitted to appointment or competition by special permission of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, the First Lord of the Admiralty, the Secretary of State for War, the Secretary of State for Air or the Minister of Supply, as the case may be.

The requirements referred to in these Regulations are normally applicable also to candidates for temporary employment in Government Departments.

During the war, however, in view of the demands on manpower and of the difficulties in providing a sufficiency of candidates satisfying the normal rule certain relaxations were approved in respect of temporary employment.

The effect of these relaxations in the case of British born applicants is that, in addition to the categories of persons specified above, but subject to security inquiries in each case and to the permission of the Home Secretary where required, Departments may employ, in a temporary capacity British born persons failing to fulfil the normal requirement of having at least one parent who is or was, at time of death, a British subject. Such appointments are conditional on there not being available a person satisfying the normal conditions.