asked the Minister of Labour the number of requests made to him by Government Departments for names of persons on the Central Register to fill vacancies in the Departments; and what proportion of the new employment at Government Departments has been filled by persons recruited through his Department?

Since the end of August, about 9,000 vacancies have been notified to the Central Register by Government Departments. I am not in possession of information as to the proportion of the new staffs of Government Departments recruited through my Department.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is a great deal of dissatisfaction among people who are on this register because they get no real chance of getting these jobs? What steps are being taken to urge on Government Departments that more consideration should be given to these people?

I think the hon. Member's Question arises from a misunderstanding. I am not responsible for the distribution of Government staff. I am responsible for the compilation of information in the Central Register of persons having high technical and administrative skill. Although a certain number of the people on the Register are unemployed persons, the Register is not compiled from the point of view of employed or unemployed, but from the point of view of making available to the central Government knowledge as to the maximum number of persons available for very special jobs.

What steps are being taken to urge upon Government Departments that they should give consideration to these people?

I have pointed out that that is not my responsibility. The Treasury is responsible for the whole of the Government services.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether instructions have been issued to Government Departments that the additional staff required shall be recruited, as far as possible, from the Central Registry of the Ministry of Labour; and what is the existing method of making appointments to staffs of those Departments?

Yes, Sir. Departments have been informed that vacancies which cannot be filled by the loan of civil servants from other Departments, or, in appropriate cases, by the recall of civil servants who have retired on pension, should be reported to the Ministry of Labour and National Service. According to the nature of the vacancy, that Department submits a selection of candidates drawn from the Central Register, the Supplementary Registers or the ordinary Employment Exchange Registers; the actual appointment is made, on a temporary basis, by the Department having the vacancy.

Could the right hon. and gallant Gentleman give me the date when that action was taken?

It has been the practice, but for exactly how long I should not like to say off-hand.