§ Mr. VIANTasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the National Whitley Council for the Civil Service, not long after it was appointed, laid down the principle that members of the typing grades, equally with writing assistants, should be eligible for promotion to the clerical class as vacancies arose; whether he is aware that in many Departments no promotions to the clerical class from the typing grades 2552W have been made during the last year or two, in spite of the existence of such vacancies; and whether he will make it clear to Departments that the National Whitley Council recommendations on this subject should be applied forthwith?
§ Mr. McNEILLThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. In accordance with that principle nearly 100 promotions of shorthand typists and typists have been made to the clerical class since 1st January, 1920. With regard to the second and third parts of the question, the actual promotions in the different Departments depend upon the qualifications of the members of the grades in question in those Departments and the requirements of the service. I have no reason to think that the Departments are unaware of the recommendations referred to and I do not consider that any further instructions on the subject are required.