§ Colonel DAYasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been drawn to a question put to ex-service men in the recent examination for permanent appointments in the Civil Service, in which the candidate was asked to state how far he thought Labour party was an accurate and suitable name for the party which has adopted the name; and whether he will make representations to the Civil Service Commissioners that no question should be put in an examination which might elicit information as to what political party a candidate for the Civil Service supported?
Mr. GUINNESSThe question referred to is one of eight questions in the general paper, three of which are to be attempted. The general paper has mainly to consist, according to the syllabus, of questions on subjects of interest and importance at the present day. Few such subjects are uncontroversial; and while the Civil 1851W Service Commissioners are quite indifferent concerning the opinions of candidates on subjects of political, or any other, controversy, it would greatly handicap them in making the assessment of intelligence and knowledge which is the object of the general paper if they were to be debarred from so large a field of interest as the political.