§ Mr. GILBERTasked the right hon. Member for Barnard Castle, as representing the Ministry of National Service, if he will state the names of the twelve commissioners and the two deputy commissioners who have been appointed at salaries of £500 and £300 per annum; and if he will also state by what method these appointments were made, if it was by advertisement, nomination, or through the Civil Service Commissioners?
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Mr. WALSHMy right hon Friend has asked me to reply. The names of the twelve commissioners are as follows:
- Mr. W. Crosland.
- Mr. B. H. Eden.
- Captain J. C. Blofield.
- Mr. E. Armitage.
- Mr. H. A. Drew
- Mr. L. F. Lambert.
- Mr. A. E. Elliott.
- Captain H. Swetenham.
- Mr. H. L. Fife.
- Mr. H. J. Watson.
- Colonel Drummond.
- Mr. James Adam.
The names of the deputy-commissioners are:
These appointments were not made by advertisement, nomination, or through the Civil Service Commissioners, but by the Director-General of National Service on the recommendation of the Director of the Agricultural Section, who selected the men having the closest acquaintance with agricultural problems, from a large number of applicants, as well as persons recommended from numerous sources, for the offices, and after very careful investigation and inquiry.
- Mr. W. Webster.
- Mr. Lewis Shedden.
§ Mr. ROWLANDSasked the right hon. Member for Barnard Castle, as representing the Ministry of National Service, if he can state how the appointments are made in the Ministry of National Service; will he state if the vacancies for the fifty-five salaried appointments of commissioners, deputy-commissioners, and sub-commissioners were filled by promotions or transfers from other Government Departments; if not, how were they filled; and, in the event of further appointments, will he undertake that these vacancies shall be put up to competition, not excluding wounded men from the front suitable for this work?
Mr. WALSHMy right hon. Friend has asked me to reply. Appointments have been made in the Ministry of National Service by the Director-General, or for subordinate posts by the heads of the respective sections. The fifty-five salaried appointments referred to are exclusive of promotions or transfers from other Government Departments, thirty in number. Other Government Departments have been so depleted that these transfers were only effected with difficulty. There has been keen competition for most of the 1321W posts, many thousands of applications having been received, and the best men have been selected from the applicants, as well as from amongst persons of known qualifications who were recommended for the appointments. Wherever a wounded man from the front suitable for the work was available he has been appointed, and a number of such appointments have already been made.