§ 93. Mr. W. J. Brownasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the number of serving prison officers, both men and women, who have applied for consideration for promotion in response to a recent advertisement in the national Press asking for candidates for the 19 posts as Governor, Class 5; and if he will give an assurance that the claims of these serving men and women will receive prior consideration over the applications received from persons who have no connection with the prison service.
§ Mr. EdeThe answer to the first part of the Question is that up to the present 54 such applications have been received. As regards the second part of the Question, I would prefer to postpone making a statement as to the procedure for filling the higher posts in the Prison Service until I have been able to consider the representations which the Prison Officers' Association are proposing to submit to me at a deputation I shall shortly be receiving.