§ 36. Mr. Dribergasked the Minister of Pensions if he is aware that a disabled ex-Service man, case No. 2/MH/2984, is unable to follow his employment on a seed farm at Kelvedon, Essex, because his surgical boots are completely unserviceable; that renewal of boots was due last December and that this man was remeasured for them at a Ministry of Pension's clinic on 14th January last; that he has for seven months addressed repeated appeals to the Department's regional office at Cambridge, but has still not received his new boots; and if he will expedite the provision of these boots and explain the cause of this long delay.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Pensions (Mr. Blenkinsop)The order, which was placed on 16th January, two days after the man was measured, involved the making of a new last by the contractor. Owing to a shortage of skilled labour there is, in general, 2421 delay in the delivery of new boots and the position is especially difficult when a new last has to be made. In this case, delivery of the new boots has been promised within a fortnight from now. Appropriate allowances will be paid for any period during which the pensioner has been prevented from working. To help in remedying the position as a whole, some disabled ex-Service men have been taken into training, and a number of European volunteer workers have recently been brought to this country and are employed at the factory of our principal contractors.