Mr. NUGENTasked the hon. Member for Worcestershire (Bewdley Division), as representing the National Insurance Audit Department, whether he will furnish a statement showing the name of and total amount paid to each of the auditors to whom a special allowance at the rate of £50 per annum was granted during each of the four years ended the 30th June, 1916, distinguishing the names of Irish-born auditors from those of their British-born colleagues and also distinguishing 919W between the amount paid for acting as deputy-inspector of audit, for having charge of specially responsible duties, and for a combination of these functions; whether he will state the number of British-born and Irish-born auditors, respectively, who were serving in the Department during each of the four years in question; whether these special allowances are allocated to auditors on the recommendations of the inspectors of audit; and whether, having regard to the efficiency of the public service, these inspectors possess the necessary qualifications which might enable them to make an equitable allocation of such allowances?
§ Mr. BALDWINNo information is available as to the place of birth of auditors in the National Insurance Audit Department; the statement asked for cannot therefore be furnished. The allowances are allocated to auditors by the chief auditor or acting auditor after considering the recommendations of the inspectors of audit.
Mr. NUGENTasked the hon. Member for Worcestershire (Bewdley Division), as representing the National Insurance Audit Department, whether he will furnish a statement showing the names of the assistant auditors who were appointed otherwise than by open competitive examination, the qualifications of each for the appointment, the initial salary and scale of salary of each as at date of appointment, date of appointment of each, and position of each in departmental seniority list of assistant auditors; and will he state whether all qualified candidates in the open competition for entrance into the Department were called up before these appointments were made?
§ Mr. BALDWINsupplied the following statement:
920W
Name. Qualifications. Initial Salary. Scale of Salary. Date of Appointment. £ s. d. £ H, J. Purkis … Civil servant 180 0 0 180–10–250 12th August, 1912. J. F. O'Sullivan … Civil servant 180 0 0 180–10–250 16th August, 1912. S. H. Mills … Civil servant 180 0 0 180–10–250 2nd October, 1912. C. N. Matthews … Clerk to the District Auditor, Local Government Board 130 0 0 100–7½–160 3rd December, 1913. G. W. Turner … Clerk to the District Auditor, Local Government Board 130 0 0 100–7½–160 8th December, 1913. T. W. Forward … Clerk to the District Auditor, Local Government Board 130 0 0 100–7½–160 15th December, 1913. J. Raddon … Clerk to the District Auditor, Local Government Board 130 0 0 100–7½–160 15th December, 1913. H. H. Barford … Clerk to the District Auditor, Local Government Board 122 10 0 100–7½–160 15th December, 1913. There is no Departmental seniority list of assistant auditors. Messrs. O'Sullivan, Purkis and Mills were transferred from other Government Departments on the ground of urgency before the result of the examination had been ascertained. The other five were appointed junior assistant auditors after the list of candidates qualified for that grade had been exhausted.
Mr. NUGENTasked the hon. Member for Worcestershire (Bewdley Division), as representing the National Insurance Audit Department, whether he will state the number of assistant auditors of the old grade who were promoted to the new grade of assistant auditor on the intermediate scale in November, 1916, and the number of assistant auditors of the old grade who, immediately prior to the date of such promotions, were serving in either the Army or Navy; whether not one assistant auditor of the old grade serving in either the Army or Navy was included in the promotions referred to; if so, will he explain why assistant auditors of the old grade who were neither serving in the Army or Navy were specially and exclusively chosen for these promotions; and whether he proposes to take any steps as regards a Department which adjudicates on promotions and kindred matters in this manner?
§ Mr. BALDWINThe answer to the first part of the question is five; to the second, nineteen; to the third, in the affirmative; to the fourth, the promotions were made entirely by merit; to the fifth, in the negative.
Mr. NUGENTasked the hon. Member for Worcestershire (Bewdley Division), as representing the National Insurance Audit Department, whether he will furnish a statement showing the names of Irish-born assistant auditors of the old grade
921Wwho were not promoted to the new grade of assistant auditor on the intermediate scale as from the 1st of January, 19]4, and the 1st of May, 1915, respectively; whether the bulk of their British-born colleagues were so promoted; whether these non-promoted assistant auditors were engaged in carrying out duties exactly similar to those being carried out by their promoted colleagues: and whether their non-promotion was due to the attitude of the bulk of the inspectors of audit to Irishmen in the Department?
§ Mr. BALDWINThe question of place of birth has never been considered in making promotions.