§ Mr. SWANasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the following recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Civil Service with regard to the Foreign Office and the Diplomatic Corps have been carried into effect, namely, the abolition of the property qualification for admission to the Diplomatic Corps, the reconstruction on a broader basis of the board of selection, removal of the requirement that applicants for the diplomatic establishment of the Foreign Office and for the Diplomatic Corps should obtain the permission of the Secretary of State to appear before the board of selection, combination of the entrance examination for the foreign service with the general Civil Service examination, amalgamation of the Diplomatic Corps and Foreign Office staff, adjustments of the salaries and allowances of members of the foreign service abroad so as to make it possible for them to live upon their official emoluments, and creation of a committee with the duty of advising the Secretary of State with regard to promotions; in the event of this committee being appointed, how it is constituted; and, if the recommendation as to reconstruction of the board of selection has been carried out, how it is now constituted?
Mr. HARMSWORTHAs I stated in my reply to the question asked by the hon. Member for West Bromwich (Mr. F. Roberts) on the 25th instant, effect has been given to the recommendations of the Royal Commission to the fullest extent so far as it has been found in practice possible to do so. The recommendations mentioned in points (1), (2), (3), and (7) of the hon. Member's question have been carried out in their entirety. As regards the other points the position is as follows:—
Point (4): The entrance examination will be the same as that for the general Civil Service as soon as examinations under the present temporary reconstruction regulations cease at the end of 1921.
Point (5): There is complete amalgamation with one seniority list up to a certain rank, after which members of the two services, though they are on separate seniority lists, are liable to serve either at home or abroad according to the re- 93W quirements of the public service, determined with reference to each case by the Secretary of State.
Point (6): While adjustments have been made with the object mentioned in the hon. Member's question it is impossible in present conditions to ensure that the official emoluments shall in every case cover expenses.
Point (8): The members of the Committee are: The Permanent Under-Secretary of State, one of the Assistant Under-Secretaries of State, one Diplomatic official of high rank, the Chief Clerk, and the Diplomatic Secretary to the Secretary of State.
Point (9): The Board of Selection set up for the period of reconstruction consists of: The First Commissioner of the Civil Service Commission (as Chairman), two Members of Parliament, one officer nominated by the War Office, one non-official person, two representatives of the Foreign Office.