§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he is aware that an ex-service foreman-of-works clerk serving in the civil engineer-in-chief's department at Devon-port Dockyard competed at the recent examination held in July last for Departmental clerkships and that, notwithstanding a favourable report from his local officers, he has been deemed ineligible for this position although he is, and has been since his entry in the Department, wholly employed on clerical work; and whether he can give any reasons why this forceman-of-works clerk, who is designated as a clerk and wholly engaged on clerical work, is not considered eligible?
Mr. DAVIDSONService in the grade of foreman-of-works clerk—which is an industrial one—does not fulfill the requirement of temporary service in a clerical post, which was one of the conditions of eligibility for the examination for clerks of the general and Departmental classes. Representations have been received in regard to the case referred to in the question, and these are1828W being considered, but it should be stated that the final decision, which involves a question of interpretation of the Regulations, rests with the Civil Service Commissioners.