§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREasked whether a conference has been held at Cardiff under the National Health Insurance Commission (Wales) to consider the regulations to be adopted in making appointments to the staff of the Commission; who were invited to attend such conference; and whether the conference was private or public?
§ Mr. MASTERMANA conference was held at Cardiff to discuss questions connected with the appointments under the Welsh Insurance Commission. Invitations were sent to the Welsh University Court, the three Welsh University 992 Colleges, the Central Welsh Board, the Welsh Board of Legal Education, to the Associations of the Secondary and Elementary School Teachers, and to the Welsh Appointments Board to send representatives. Personal invitations were also sent to the Lord Mayor of Cardiff, the chairman of the Welsh parliamentary party, and the hon. Member himself. The conference was private and informal.
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREasked whether it is intended to hold special examinations in connection with appointments to the staff of the National Health Insurance Commission (Wales); and whether any qualifications, university or other, will be required before persons may present themselves for such examinations?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe method of making further appointments to the staff of the National Health Insurance Commission (Wales) is still under consideration.
§ Mr. MASTERMANThat is under consideration.
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREasked whether only Welshmen who have passed through the University of Wales will be eligible for the higher posts under the National Health Insurance Commission (Wales), or whether such posts will be open to Welshmen who have passed through other universities such as Oxford or Liverpool?
§ Mr. MASTERMANNo limitation has been made on the higher posts under the National Health Insurance Commission (Wales), either to graduates of the University of Wales or any other universities.
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREWill any university qualification be required?
§ Mr. MASTERMANNo.
Mr. PIKE PEASECan the hon. Gentleman state what are to be the necessary qualifications for the Chief Clerk.
§ Mr. J. A. PEASEI have no information additional to that already given to the House.
§ Mr. KELLAWAYasked the Secretary to the Treasury if his attention has been called to a conference, held on Saturday at Cardiff, at which the Welsh Insurance Board, the Welsh Appointments Board, 993 and other authorities were represented, when it was recommended that the higher appointments under the National Insurance Act should be filled by examination to which only university graduates should be admitted; and whether he will at once take steps to secure that all appointments under the Act are made without regard to social or other irrelevant considerations of this kind?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI beg to refer the hon. Member to the answer I have just given to the hon. Member for Denbigh. I understand that no limitation will be made of the higher appointments in Wales to university graduates, and no recommendation to that effect was made by the conference.