§ 28. Mr. Simmonsasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the numbers of staff at present employed by his Department on full-time duties as war pensioners' welfare officers, and the corresponding numbers of such staff employed at 1st January, 1957, and 1st January, 1954.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe number of staff at present employed by my Department on full-time duties as war pensioners' welfare officers is 64. The corresponding numbers at 1st January, 1957, and 1st January, 1954, were 71 and 83. respectively.
§ Mr. SimmonsIs the Minister aware that there is a feeling that the welfare service is not receiving that support from his Ministry which it used to receive in the old days? Can he give any reasons for the reduction in the number of welfare officers? Was not this service a 21 most important development in dealing with the problems of ex-Service men and their dependants? Does not the right hon. Gentleman agree that the tendency should be to increase rather than to reduce staff?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThere are three reasons for the reduction in full-time staff on this duty. First, there has been an increase in part-time work, because the work of children's officers has diminished, and those officers are now sharing welfare service duties but are not included in the figure in respect of welfare. Secondly, the number of war pensioners is now substantially less than it was on the dates to which the hon. Member referred. Thirdly, as a result of the merger of Departments, there are available to assist war pensioners in difficulty, in addition to the old service, 858 National Insurance offices. So far from there being any lack of enthusiasm or drive behind the War Pensioners' Welfare Service, it is more active than ever.