§ 22. Mr. Tomneyasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what methods he employs to keep his Department's records up to date.
§ Mr. N. MacphersonMy Department keeps many kinds of records and employs a variety of methods to keep them up to date. If the hon. Member has any particular case in mind I shall be glad to look into it.
§ Mr. TomneyWhile appreciating the right hon. Gentleman's efforts to keep his Department's records up to date, and while recognising the vast amount of work which that involves, may I ask whether he agrees that a letter setting out the terms and conditions of retirement applicable to people about to retire should not be sent to a person—as in the case of my constituent—who has been dead for eleven years—unless, of course, the Almighty has a voice in the right hon. Gentleman's Department?
§ Mr. MacphersonI certainly agree with that, but I am afraid it is inevitable that mistakes of that kind can occur from time to time. The hon. Gentleman would be surprised to know how many cases there are of people with the same names; there was even one case of two people with the same name living at the same address.
§ Mr. TomneyI can understand the right hon. Gentleman's statement, but this is the third of such letters.
§ Mr. MacphersonPresumably it must have been because the dead man has not been able to inform the Department that he is dead.