§ 97. Mr. PENNEFATHERasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he is aware that the existing regulations with respect to the age limit for Civil Service examinations disqualify men who, having served with His Majesty's Forces for periods of two to four and a half years, are now above 25, and are therefore, even if on the temporary staff of the Civil Service, unable to sit for the examinations; and whether he will consider the advisability of raising the age limit for ex-service men who are desirous of entering the Civil Service?
§ Mr. BALDWINI beg to refer to the answers which I gave to the hon. and gallant Member for Hexham (Captain Brown) on the 10th March, and to the hon. and gallant Member for East Brad ford (Captain Loseby) on the 19th instant. For the competition referred to in the second answer the age-limits will be raised to 35. I must remind the hon. Member that the number of vacancies on the permanent establishment of Government Departments is very small as compared with the number of ex-service men who desire to enter the Civil Service, and that the acceptance of any candidates above the age-limits involves the rejection of candidates within the limits.