§ Mr. FIELDasked the Secretary to the Treasury what is the salary of a new class assistant clerk in the Customs Statistical Office when he becomes eligible by service for promotion to a junior clerkship; what is the initial salary of a junior clerk; and, in view of the fact that no direct promotion from an assistant clerk to a junior clerk has taken place since 1904, can he state when any such promotion is likely to take place?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe salary of a new class assistant clerk when he becomes eligible by service for exceptional promotion to a junior clerkship in the Customs Statistical Office varies from £65 to £80, according to the initial salary that he received on entering the class and to the amount of his previous service, if any, as boy clerk. The initial salary of a junior clerk is £200 per annum. Promotions of assistant clerks to that rank are only made exceptionally on the ground of special merit, and it is not possible to say when the next such promotion is likely to be made.
§ Mr. FIELDasked the Secretary to the Treasury how many assistant clerks have been promoted direct to junior clerkships 2562W since the minor staff class was created in the Customs and Statistical Office; what is the minimum and maximum salary of a minor staff officer and a second division clerk; what promotion was promised to meritorious assistant clerks on entering the service; what is the reason that assistant clerks in the Statistical Office are promoted to minor staff officers, while their colleagues in other Departments are promoted to the second division; and what is the difference between the merit required for promotion to a minor staff officer and a port clerk?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSENo assistant clerk has been promoted direct to a junior clerkship in the Customs Statistical Office since the minor staff class was created. The minor staff clerk's minimum salary is £190 and his maximum £220; the second division clerk's minimum is £70 and his maximum £300. No promise of promotion was made to assistant clerks on entering the service. Exceptional promotions under Clause 45 of the Order in Council of 10th January, 1910, are made in the Customs to port clerkships and Statistical Office junior clerkships, positions analagous to second division clerkships in other Departments; promotions to minor staff posts are made in addition to, and not instead of such exceptional promotions as suggested in the hon. Member's question. The minor staff posts require efficiency in the ordinary work of the Statistical Office, together with capacity to preserve discipline, while port clerkships require capacity to perform work of a different and higher type in the general service.