§ Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKasked the Minister of Pensions upon what grounds no members of the typing grades have yet been promoted in his Department, having regard to the National Whitley Council for the Civil Service decision, to the effect that such staff, equally with writing assistants, should be considered for promotion to the clerical class; and whether he will now look into the claims of senior members of the typing grades?
Lieut.-Colonel STANLEYAs no member of the typing grades in the Ministry of Pensions has completed the five years' established service ordinarily required before becoming eligible for exceptional promotion to the clerical class, the question of effecting such promotions in the Ministry has not yet arisen. My right hon. Friend will, however, in due course consider the question of placing on trial for the clerical class some of those established shorthand typists in his Department who will shortly complete five years' established service.
§ Mr. HAYESasked the Minister of Pensions what saving has been effected during the seven months ending 31st October on the amounts provided in the Estimates for his Department; and under what headings have the principal savings been made?
Lieut.-Colonel STANLEYIt is not practicable to make any reliable forecast of either reduction or excess on the Vote for my Department on the basis of seven months' expenditure, which is, moreover, not as yet precisely ascertained.
§ Miss WILKINSONasked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that, as a result of a number of temporary women employés in his Department having passed the recent examination for writing assistant posts, and their consequential removal from clerical work, there is a shortage of skilled women staff on this work; and whether, in the circumstances, he will consider the promotion of a further batch of senior writing assistants to the clerical class?
§ Major TRYONI do not anticipate that there will be any shortage of experienced276W women for the performance of duties proper to the clerical grade in the Ministry of Pensions. Forty-seven writing assistants who had less than four years' service on the writing assistant grade have already been promoted to the rank of clerical officer since September, 1924. I would point out that the senior writing assistants failed to obtain appointment to the clerical grade through the competitive examinations. The question of making further promotions from the writing assistant class will receive consideration in the near future.
§ Lieut.-Colonel MASONasked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that temporary women clerks who have tried, though unsuccessfully, to pass the examination for permanency are now under notice of dismissal, whereas others who have not taken that trouble are being retained; and will he reverse that practice?
§ Major TRYONEfficiency is the main criterion in determining the order of discharge of redundant temporary women clerks. For the purposes of demobilisation the women staff have been classified in efficiency categories, and these categories have been divided into hardship sub-categories. Within each sub-category clerks who failed the 1925 Civil Service examinations for appointment to permanent grades of the Service are regarded as having a prior claim to retention over those who failed to enter for those examinations.