§ Mr. NEWMANasked the Secretary for War, with reference to his Memorandum on the Army Accounts Department, dated February, 1910, and appended to the copy of Army Estimates for the year 1910–11, whether he has made arrangements whereby the changes made in the Army Accounts Department shall not materially affect the claims and former prospects of promotion of the civilian assistant accountants serving in that Department; and whether he will give the assurance that the status conferred on those assistant accountants by appointment to the Army Accounts Department shall be duly recognised in the future?
§ Mr. HALDANEThe assistant accountants retained for permanent service will be those who were transferred without competition or examination from the Second Division. The increases of pay given to them on transfer are retained, and they also retain a due share of promotion on the new establishment, into the ranks and scale of pay for which they were eligible under the conditions in force before 1st January last. Some reduction of the higher grade of the establishment has been found necessary in the interests of economy, but I have been able to arrange for the very favourable rate of absorption of one in three vacancies.