§ Mr. Winnickasked the right hon. Member for Middlesbrough, as repesenting the House of Commons Commission, to which of the following posts, in the service of the House of Commons, appointments are made by the House of Commons Commission; to which of these posts appointments are made by other means ; and if he will specify the method of appointment in such cases : Serjeant at Arms, Deputy Serjeant at 312W Arms, Assistant Serjeant at Arms, Deputy Assistant Serjeant at Arms, Deliverer of the Vote, Deputy Deliverer of the Vote, Shorthand Writer to the House, Computer Development Officer, non-career Clerks, Secretary to Mr. Speaker, Counsel to Mr. Speaker and Second Counsel to Mr. Speaker; and what considerations are taken into account in such appointments.
§ Mr. Arthur BottomleyNo appointments are made directly by the Commission. The appointment of the Serjeant at Arms is in the gift of Her Majesty the Queen, who, before exercising her prerogative in this respect, invites informal discussions with Mr. Speaker. Responsibility for appointment to the posts of Deputy Serjeant at Arms and Deliverer of the Vote has been delegated by the House of Commons Commission to Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker is also responsible statutorily for the appointment of his personal staff.
Appointment to the other posts to which the hon. Member refers is the responsibility of the Heads of the Departments concerned. The present Deputy Assistant Serjeant at Arms and Deputy Deliverer of the Vote were recruited with the assistance of the Civil Service Commission. The Computer Development Officer, who works for both Houses, was appointed on the recommendation of a board, the chairman of which was the chairman of the Computer Sub-Committee of the Services Committee and on which the House of Lords and the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency were also represented. The Shorthand Writer, who is also the Shorthand Writer to the House of Lords, is appointed by the Clerk of the House pursuant to the resolution of the House of 18 May 1813. Non-career Clerks are appointed by the Clerk of the House from among serving or retired civil servants whose names are put forward by the Civil Service Department.
As regards the considerations which are taken into account in making these and other appointments in the House, it is the Commission's aim that these should follow broadly those recommended in the Bottomley report—see especially sections V and VI.