§ Mr. Ellisasked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the number of the scientific assistant grade in the Meteorological Office last year; how many class to class promotions were made during this period; and how this number compares with each of the previous three years.
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§ Mr. Merlyn ReesThe average strength of the scientific assistant class in the Met serological Office in 1965 was:—
Senior Scientific Assistants … 267 Scientific Assistants … 1,244 Transfer to the experimental class is through the Civil Service Commission open competiton for candidates aged under 31 and through an internal competition within the Meteorological Office (with the assistance of the Commission) for those aged 31 and over. Appointments of scientific assistants in the Office to the experimental class in the last four years are shown below. The figures in brackets indicate the number of entrants by the internal competition within the annual totals.
Senior Scientific Assistants Scientific Assistants Total 1962 … 4(3) 27(4) 31(7) 1963 … 10 (9) 20(3) 30 (12) 1964 … 1 (1) 22(3) 23 (4) 1965 … 7(7) 29(−) 36(7) 22 (20) 98 (10) 120 (30) These 120 appointments represent two-thirds of the intake to the experimental class in the Office in the years quoted.
A further 7 Senior Scientific Assistants and 24 Scientific Assistants who were successful in the 1965 competitions were appointed to posts in 1966.
The 1966 competitions are not complete, but 24 candidates from the assistant class in the Office have been accepted so far.