Mr. Vaneasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the introduction to a memorandum, entitled "Home Civil Service and Foreign Service—Open Competitive Examination, August, 1948," included the condition that candidates must be under 45 years of age; whether he realises that this condition caused many otherwise suitable candidates to be ineligible to compete; and whether he will, in future, see that suitable candidates with long service in the Army as officers or N.C.O's. are not excluded on the grounds of age alone.
§ Mr. Glenvil HallThe hon. Member is presumably referring to the regulations for the Open Competition for the Executive Class. These provide, as the main method of entry, for an open competition with an upper age limit of 18½. But in addition, special provision is for the first time being made for a proportion of the vacancies to be filled from those under the age of 45 who have served on Regular engagements in one or other of the Services. This special competition and the extension of the normal age limit for this type of entrant, are part of the Government's policy of assisting the resettlement of ex-Regulars. In providing, however, for this special entry on a career basis to a basic grade of the Executive Class, some upper age limit had to be fixed, and the limit of 45 arrived at was part of a comprehensive agreement between the official and staff sides of the Civil Service National Whitley Council.