§ 65. Mr. Turtonasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury why 54 candidates who were successful in the 1939 examination for officers of Customs and Excise, but who were prevented by the outbreak of war from having their personal interview, are not to be offered appointments until they have passed the reconstruction examination in 1947; and whether these candidates, who are ex-Servicemen, are being granted any subsistence allowances during the interval.
§ Mr. Glenvil HallThe 1939 examination for Officers of Customs and Excise was not completed and no candidates were declared successful. But those who reached a certain standard in the written papers are now being allowed to complete 9W the competition by appearing before the Interviewing Board which sits for the purpose of the Reconstruction competition, and if their aggregate mark is 900 or more they are declared successful. Fifty-four candidates have in this way completed the 1939 competition and have been declared successful. A further 54 failed to obtain the necessary aggregate mark; but these may, if eligible under the Reconstruction regulations, compete for both the written and interview parts of the Reconstruction competition and their previous failure is not counted as one of the two attempts which candidates are allowed to make at that competition.