§ Mr. FIELDasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the fact that five second division clerks in the Customs Statistical Office are temporarily employed pending the settlement of certain questions affecting the business of the office, he will give an assurance that these men 686W will not be placed permanently on the staff of the office either during the consideration of or on settlement of these questions?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEI must refer the hon. Member to my reply to his question of the 21st February on this subject, to which I have nothing to add.
§ Mr. FIELDasked how many new class assistant clerks in the Customs Statistical Office have been promoted to junior clerkships, minor staff officers, and port clerkships respectively; what is the numerical staff of the minor staff officer class, which is stated to be recruited exclusively from the 212 assistant clerks in the Statistical Office; how many assistant clerks have refused nominations for promotion to port clerkships, and for what reason; when was the last direct promotion from an assistant clerk to a junior clerk made; is it necessary for an assistant clerk to pass through the minor staff officer class before promotion to a junior clerkship; and is a minor staff officer eligible for promotion to a port clerkship?
687W
§ Mr. HOBHOUSENo new class assistant clerks in the Statistical Office have been promoted to junior clerkships or minor staff officerships, the promotions of assistant clerks to these posts having, so far, fallen to men of the Abstractor class, who are the seniors in the general body of assistant clerks. Thirteen new class assistant clerks in the office have been promoted to port clerkships. The minor staff officer class in the office consists of nine men. Four assistant clerks have refused to be nominated for port clerkships, for reasons which are unknown to the Board. The last direct promotion of an assistant clerk to a junior clerkship was made in 1904. It is not necessary that an assistant clerk should pass through the minor staff officer class before promotion to a junior clerkship. Minor staff officers are not, as such, ineligible for promotion to port clerkships, but I would point out that their maximum salary is £20 higher than that of the lower section of port clerks—the grade to which exceptional promotions are made.