§ Sir R. Rossasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what percentage of civil servants in Northern Ireland, for whose conditions of service the Treasury is responsible, are of Irish Free State or Northern Ireland origin, respectively?
§ Lieut.-Colonel ColvilleI regret that information on this question is not available and could not be obtained without disproportionate labour and expense.
§ Sir R. Rossasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will give preference to civil servants of Northern Ireland origin when considering applications to serve in that part of the United Kingdom?
§ Lieut.-Colonel ColvilleSubject to the requirements of the public service, candidates for initial appointment who have expressed a preference for employment in Northern Ireland are assigned to any vacancies which may exist there. The 45W transfer of officers already in the service is arranged according to seniority or date of application for transfer. It would not, I regret, be practicable or desirable to alter these arrangements, but my hon. and gallant Friend may rest assured that vacancies in Imperial Departments in Northern Ireland are, in practice, not normally filled except by officers having some connection with that part of the United Kingdom.