18 and 19. Lieut.- Colonel WATTS-MORGANasked the Minister of Pensions (1) whether any regional advisory committee has protested against the method of procedure adopted by the Ministry at the last meeting of the Central Advisory Council and, if so, what are the committees that protested; and whether, at future meetings, he will arrange that officials of the Ministry shall only attend to furnish information if desired, and that any memoranda that may be issued for the council's consideration shall be circulated to the members of the council at least seven days prior to the date of the meeting of the council;
(2) Whether there has been any change in the membership of the Central Advisory Council; when the next meeting of the council will be held; and whether he will issue instructions that the council shall meet not less often than once every three months?
§ Major TRYONThe recent meeting of the Central Advisory Committee—the first since I was last in office—was summoned under abnormal conditions which, unfortunately, rendered it impracticable to observe the usual practice of circulating the memoranda beforehand in good time to the members; and it was on that ground that one council—the Midlands—passed a resolution expressing dissatisfaction. It is my intention to hold meetings at suitable intervals when matters appropriate for reference to the Committee arise, and I hope shortly to arrange one, though I am not, at the moment, in a position to state the exact date. No change has been made in the membership since the appointment at the beginning of the year of the present members of the Committee, which I would point out, must include officers of the Ministry under the express terms of Section 3 of the War Pensions Act, 1921.
Lieut.-Colonel WATTS-MORGANWill the right hon. Gentleman please answer that part of the first question with regard to the officials of the Ministry attending?
§ Major TRYONThat has been answered. It is necessary under the Act that they should be there, and necessarily, therefore, we shall continue the present arrangement.
Lieut.-Colonel WATTS-MORGANI am asking whether they will be there simply to give information, and not to take the part which they do now.
§ Major TRYONNo. I am not prepared to alter an arrangement which is working perfectly well, and I think that the old arrangement is working a great deal better on the Central Committee than the new plan on the eight local councils.