§ Mr. RHYS DAVIESasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction among typists, shorthand typists and writing 1243W assistants at the fact that more than half the competitors at the last clerical class examination have been offered appointments, whereas there has been no improvement in the promotion rate within the service; and whether he will safeguard the position of these grades by stipulating that there shall be a more equitable distribution of clerical vacancies in future?
§ Mr. COOPERNot only the grades mentioned but also "S" class clerks are eligible on their merits for promotion to the clerical classes, and Departments apply to the Civil Service Commission for open recruits only after paying due regard to the claims to promotion of suitable officers of these grades. The increased number of appointments from the last open competition is due to the needs of the service, which have also necessitated a very substantial number of promotions from the sub-clerical grades. I cannot accept the implication that the distribution has been inequitable to the promotion candidates, and I would point out that of about 15,000 appointments to the clerical classes in the last seven years only 5,000 have been filled from the open competition. Moreover, some of the successful candidates at open competitions are serving civil servants: 200 in all at the last competition.