§ 1. Mr. N. MACLEANasked the Minister of Pensions whether notice of dismissal has been served on certain officials of the clerical staff of the local war pensions department in Glasgow; whether the regional division officer who served these notices was acting under the instructions of the Ministry of Pensions; and whether, in view of the Government 1201 public inquiry into the administration of matters under the jurisdiction of the local war pensions committee and West of Scotland joint disablement committee, he will suspend these notices of dismissal until after this inquiry has been held?
§ The MINISTER of PENSIONS (Mr. Macpherson)The members of the Glasgow Local War Pensions Committee having tendered their resignations it became necessary at once to arrange for the carrying on of the work of my Department in that area. It was found necessary, in the interests of efficiency and economy, to reorganise the administration of business in the local office, and for this purpose it was considered advisable to give notice terminating the appointments of certain officials whose services in the posts then occupied by them were no longer required. As the administration of the Glasgow committee is not a matter with which the Committee of Inquiry referred to is concerned, I am not prepared to adopt the suggestion in the last part of the question.
§ Mr. MACLEANIs it not a fact that a number of the cases to come before the Committee of Inquiry are cases, the files and particulars of which are under the control of these officials who have been presented with their notices, and does the right hon. Gentleman not think it would be advisable, in consideration of the fact that such an inquiry is going to be-held, to suspend the notices pending the inquiry and the Report on the result thereof?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONThe matter is very well in hand, and all the necessary files will be available for the inquiry.
§ 3. Mr. MACLEANasked the Minister of Pensions whether the Regional Director for Scotland has set up a body in place of the Glasgow Local War Pensions Committee called the Ex-Service Men's Advisory Committee; whether he can state if this committee holds meetings every week which are presided over by the Regional Director; whether he is aware that they have been issuing weekly reports to the Glasgow Press, in which references are made to the satisfactory state of affairs which exist in Bellahouston Hospital; whether he is aware that, in view of the public inquiry that is to be held into the administration of that hos- 1202 pital, the committee for which has now been publicly announced, this is looked upon locally as an attempt to prejudice the work of that committee; whether he will state the names of the members of this Ex-Service Men's Advisory Committee and the organisations they represent; and whether he will suspend the operations of this body pending the inquiry and report of the committee?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONOn the resignation of the local war pensions committee for Glasgow, the regional director, under my instructions, deputed a responsible officer to take charge of the administration of the work of my Department in that area so that the interests of disabled men and other clients of the Ministry should not suffer by the default of the local committee. At the same time, he invited the more important organisations of ex-service men in Glasgow to nominate members to form an advisory committee The advisory committee is composed of ex-service men nominated by the British Legion, the Limbless Ex-Service Men's Association, the Trainees' Protective and Welfare Union, and the Independent Grand Order of Ex-Service Men, together with a few members of the late divisional committees which acted under the local committee for the sub-districts of Glasgow. I am sending my hon. Friend the names of the members of the advisory committee. It is the case that this committee meets weekly under the chairmanship of the regional director, and that brief accounts of these meetings have appeared in the local Press. Bellahouston Hospital is, as my hon. Friend is no doubt aware, not under the direct management of the local committee, but of the Joint Disablement Committee for South West Scotland. But I am informed that the advisory committee obtained permission from the regional director to send; two deputations to visit that hospital. On receipt of their reports, the advisory committee placed on record their satisfaction of the general arrangements of the hospital in connection with the treatment of pensioners, without desiring to anticipate the findings of the Committee of Inquiry. I believe that some reference to this resolution of the advisory committee appeared in the local Press. I am not aware that this action of the advisory committee is looked upon locally as an attempt to prejudice the work of the Committee of Inquiry, nor, 1203 in view of the fact that the great majority of men under treatment at Bellahouston are natives of Glasgow, and obtain their treatment at the hospital through the local war pensions committee, does it seem to me at all unreasonable that the advisory committee should have decided to ascertain for themselves that the existing conditions of treatment were satisfactory.
§ Mr. MACLEANHas the right hon. Gentleman seen the Glasgow papers in which these reports appear? Is it not the case that the reports submitted to the Press by this committee, which has been set up by the regional director, are, as they appear in the papers, entirely in reference to Bellahouston Hospital and not to the work done by the committee? Further, will he explain why the National Union of Ex-Service Men have not been invited to send representatives to that committee as the National Union of Ex-service Men—
§ Mr. SPEAKERI cannot quite follow that, and I think the hon. Member had better put it on the Paper.
§ Mr. MACLEANOn a point of Order. The right hon. Gentleman has made a statement in regard to certain bodies representing ex-service men who have been invited to send representatives to this committee. There is in Glasgow a committee of ex-service men, the name of which has not been mentioned, and I am asking him if they have been invited to form part of this committee?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat will require a fresh reference, and the hon. Member should put it down.
§ Mr. G. BARNESAre the irregularities in Bellahouston Hospital in any way related to the dismissal of the men referred to in question No. 1, and, if so, can the dismissals not be suspended meanwhile?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONNo. My right hon. Friend is also misinformed. The Glasgow Local War Pensions Committee has nothing whatever to do with Bellahouston Hospital. It is purely a matter for the Glasgow and West of Scotland Joint Disablement Committee.
§ Mr. LAWSONWill the right hon. Gentleman say if a regional director who has a dispute with a local committee has 1204 the right to suspend the operations of the local committee and appoint an advisory committee?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONThe hon. Member is making a mistake. The Scottish regional director has no dispute at all with the Glasgow Local War Pensions Committee. Anything that is done is done under my instructions. I am determined to have full efficiency and economy in this part of Scotland.
§ Mr. LAWSONIs there a possibility of extending that principle to other parts of the country?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONVery likely.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat is a general question, and the question on the Paper is a local one.