§ Mr. ALDENasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether, seeing that there are at least four senior abstractors in the Statistical Department of His Majesty's Customs and Excise in respect of the checking allowance who have completed more than five years on their maximum salary and seeing that, apparently, they have discharged their duties efficiently and to the satisfaction of their chiefs, he can see his way to assigning them the £10 allowed by the Treasury under General Order 5, 1909?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI beg to refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster gave to the hon. Member for the Tyneside Division of Northumberland on the 21st March, 1910. The possession of a checking allowance does not necessarily imply that the holder is qualified for a special increment which is the reward of special merit.
§ Mr. ALDENasked the Secretary to the Treasury how many second division clerks have been permanently appointed to the Secretary's and Accountant-General's Departments of the Customs and Excise 648W establishment since August, 1911; and whether, in making these appointments, what consideration was given to the assistant clerks (new class) serving in the Long Room, having regard to the fact that forty-three of their total number of seventy-two are now eligible, from length of service, for promotion to the second division?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe answer to the first part of the question is seventy-six. Due consideration was given to the claims of meritorious assistant clerks serving in the Department, and six (two of whom were serving in Long Room) have been nominated for promotion to the second division. Two of these have been actually promoted, but the remaining four have not yet passed the necessary qualifying examination.
§ Sir WILLIAM BULLasked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will state the number of second division clerks, assistant clerks, and assistants of Customs and Excise who retired or were superannuated during the years 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, and 1911?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe numbers for this Department are as follows:—
— Second Division Clerks. Assistant Clerks. Assistants (Customs and Excise). 1907 — 11 16 1908 1 5 6 1909 — 5 7 1910 — 10 8 1911 — 19 8 The figures include resignations, but not deaths, dismissals, etc.