§ Sir R. Gowerasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the number of clerical officers in the Inland Revenue Department whose marking in their last annual report forms was an A marking, implying fit for early promotion; in what circumstances the Inland Revenue are now maintaining that they can only find three promotable clerical officers; and in what circumstances officers of that Department have been asked to nominate sons and daughters for appointment to temporary executive posts?
§ Sir K. WoodI am not prepared to order an examination of the A markings referred to in the Question. There is no ground for attributing to the Inland Revenue a statement that they can find only three clerical officers who are promotable. On the contrary, there is a continuous flow of promotion of clerical officers to both the higher clerical and the executive grades. Nearly 30 promotions of clerical officers to the higher clerical officer grade and nearly 50 to the executive grade have been made since 31st March, 1940. The number of clerical officers who are considered fit for promotion to the grade of executive officer is, however, now insufficient to fill all the vacancies in that grade arising from absences on military service, retirements and other causes. Accordingly, a number of temporary women executive officers with suitable educational and other qualifications are being appointed. For the purpose of recruitment the machinery of the supplementary register of the Ministry of Labour is being used. Officers of the Department have not been asked to nominate their sons and daughters, though the latter are, of course, free to apply for appointment in the ordinary course and their educational and other qualifications are considered along with those of other applicants.