HC Deb 24 June 1920 vol 130 cc2357-9
105 and 106. Mr. HALLAS

asked the Minister of Labour (1) whether he is responsible for the Civil Liabilities Department, and, if so, since what date; what are its powers and duties; and what is the number and cost of the official staff, giving the central and each district total separately, for each year since the creation of the Department?

(2) whether the Civil Liabilities Department, up to August last, was administered by a group of officials drawn from the Treasury and Local Government staff; whether the Department has since been re-organised and placed in charge of a number of ex-officers demobilised from St. Ermin's Hotel and elsewhere, the original staff having been dismissed; and whether he is aware that the administration of this Department is giving occasion to dissatisfaction on the score of incompetence and extravagance?

Dr. MACNAMARA

As the answer to these two questions is very lengthy, per- haps the hon. Member will allow me to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

The following is the reply promised:

The responsibility for the Civil Liabilities Department was formally transferred from the Local Government Board to the Ministry of Labour on the 1st April, 1919. Its powers and duties are to administer schemes under regulations approved by the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury for providing assistance towards meeting serious financial hardship caused to officers and men whilst serving in His Majesty's Forces, and to assist discharged and demobilised officers and men to resettle in civil life where, on account of their service in the Forces, they are now faced with serious financial hardship.

The cost of the whole staff of the Civil Liabilities Department for each financial year since the inception of the Department is as follows:—

Administration Expenses. Grants made. Percentage of Administration Expenses to Grants made.
1916–17 … 59,293 806,843 7.2
1917–18 … 114,790 3,245,791 3.5
1918–19 … 87,895 4,171,855 2.0
1919–20 … 109,092 3,405,727 3.2

It should be observed that these figures are for the financial year ending 31st March, and therefore the final figure for 1919–20 includes expenditure both before and after the re-organisation of the Department to which my hon. Friend refers in Question 106. It should be noted, further, that the percentage of administration expenses, while higher than in the year 1918–19, is lower than in the two preceding years, although the Department was called upon during 1919ߝ20 to deal with the exceptional volume of work case upon it by the Resettlement Scheme which came into operation following upon demobilisation.

It is the fact that until November of last year, not August, as stated in my hon. Friend's question, the officers immediately controlling the Civil Liabilities Department were loaned to the Ministry of Labour by the Ministry of Health. The Civil Liabilities Department was re-organised in November, and in appointing officers to take control the men best suited for the work were chosen. It is not the fact that the whole of the original staff was dismissed. A proportion of the headquarters staff was retained. But the opportunity was taken to dispense with the services of a large number of Commissioners in the country who had been originally appointed on a part-time basis.

With regard to the last part of the question, I am satisfied that very great improvement indeed in the administration has followed the re-organisation. As a matter of fact, as I said yesterday, when Captain McClellan—the Controller—took over, he found himself faced with other 70,000 arrears. By dint of the greatest industry and careful re-organisation, he has now cleared these off, and is in a position to take up current applications as they arise. My hon. Friend will, I am sure, appreciate what this means to the people at the other end of the line.