§ Mr. Clark Hutchisonasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) what are the exact differences in duties now performed by an assistant secretary on scale A in the Aden Secretariat and those performed by an assistant secretary on scale B;
(2) if he will consider making it a general rule that assistant secretaries on scale B in the Aden government service will be promoted to scale A after two years, if their services are satisfactory;
(3) when he proposes to abolish scale B in the Aden government service for assistant secretaries; and when he proposes to promote those assistant secretaries who have been on scale B for a year or more to scale A.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodAssistant secretaries are accorded scale A by virtue of their educational qualifications, experience or merits. They differ from those in scale B not because of the nature of the duties performed but because they carry a larger degree of responsibility than is expected of officers on scale B who have not acquired the requisite standard for higher grading.
2. It is not proposed to introduce any qualifying time factor into consideration 119W as to when scale B officers should be promoted to scale A. Their promotion can only be considered as and when they acquire, in adequate measure, the qualifications enumerated above. These are not automatically achieved after two years nor should it be ruled out that they could be acquired in less time.
3. Both scale A and B will be required for the foreseeable future, and it is not proposed to abolish the latter.