§ 11. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Secretary of State for War what are the regulations governing the length of time the discharge and other documents of a soldier are kept before they are destroyed; if he is aware that in many cases a soldier claims that 963 bounty or gratuity was not paid to him owing to his absence abroad or other reasons, and when he does claim he is told by the War Office that all relevant documents have been destroyed, and therefore the matter cannot be investigated; and whether he will consider retaining all documents for a sufficient length of time to ensure that no hardships can occur?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSThe length of time for which discharge and other documents are retained is governed by the Schedule submitted to Parliament in February, 1923, in accordance with the Public Record Office Act, 1877, and should be sufficient to enable all valid claims to be put forward and examined without any hardship arising. I regret that I cannot agree to have the documents retained beyond the scheduled period.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIf the right hon. Gentleman cannot keep the documents, may I ask if he has any system of card indexing at the War Office where the details can be put on the cards and kept for reference?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSI am governed at the moment by the Act of Parliament, to which I have referred the hon. and gallant Member. They vary from 50 years to a very short time indeed.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs he aware that last week the War Office turned down the case which I brought to them of a soldier who served during the War, because his document had been destroyed. Can he not have some record kept?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSIf there is a sum of money to a man's credit it is noted before the documents are destroyed. Claims have arisen 10 years after the sum was alleged to have been payable, and frequently documents have been destroyed, and it is impossible to check them.
Commander WILLIAMSIs it not about time that the right hon. Gentleman reorganised this side of the Department, possibly reducing the staff and effecting considerable economies?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSI think we have organised it very efficiently and economically.