§ Lieut-Colonel CROFTasked the Minister of Pensions whether certain doctors employed by the Ministry of Pensions have had a four years' service contract given to them?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONThe answer is in the affirmative. With the approval of the Treasury and after consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health a number of full-time salaried medical officers, whose employment had previously been subject to one month's notice, have been given a four years' contract, terminating on the 31st March, 1925.
§ Lieut-Colonel CROFTasked the Minister of Pensions whether he will give an undertaking that the services of those doctors at present employed under the Ministry of Pensions, who sacrificed their practices to join the Army and Navy at the outbreak of War and were on active service and are now dependent solely on 604W their salaries, will be retained at the Pensions Ministry in preference to those who are already drawing big pensions in addition to their salaries and those who are being kept on who have never served abroad?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONPractically the whole of the full-time medical officers of the Ministry served during the late War, and, other things being equal, preference for retention will continue to be given to medical officers who saw active service over medical officers in the same class who did not so serve.