§ Mr. HAZLETONasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether minor staff clerkships have been regularised by clause 10 of the Order in Council of 21st December, 1907; whether any similar regulation has been or will be made for staff clerkships above the scale of the second division; whether second division clerks may be promoted without further certificate to any position up to £500 a year salary; and whether any provision is or will be made by which the older staff clerks, promoted on a certificate of special merit from the Civil Service Commissioners and having reached a maximum of less than £500 per annum, may have their further salary up to the £500 limit decided by the Treasury, as in clause 10 in the second division Order in Council of 21st December, 1907, for minor staff clerkships?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe provisions of clause 10 of the Order in Council referred to were made in view of the fact that, if the minor staff clerks in question had remained second division clerks, they would have had the prospect of rising, under the usual conditions, to the maximum of the second division. No consideration of this kind arises with regard to staff clerks above the second division, and the fact that a further certificate is not required in the event of such a staff clerk being promoted to certain posts with maximum salary not exceeding £500 gives him no 2151W claim to rise to that salary. There is, therefore, no intention of making provision to the effect suggested.