45. Mr. B. Harrisonasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will alter the conditions of appointment in the United Kingdom Overseas Civil Service so that corporate members of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, may be eligible for permanent appointment to the Overseas Civil Service where engineering qualifications are required.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe qualification required for the Engineering Branch of Her Majesty's Oversea Civil Service is a university degree or a diploma recognised as exempting from the examinations of the Institutions of Civil, Mechanical and Electrical Engineers, plus some practical experience. Corporate members of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, are therefore eligible for entry into the Oversea Civil Service provided they have an engineering degree of an Australian State university or the diploma of the Royal Melbourne Technical College. Specific mention of this eligibility will be made in the next edition of the appointments handbook of the Oversea Civil Service.
Mr. HarrisonIs my right hon. Friend aware that this is most welcome news, particularly for the Asian students in Australia under the Colombo Plan at the present time?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI thank my hon. Friend.