§ Mr. J. BUTLERasked the Minister of Health what are the duties of the men inspectors of the Insurance Department, Ministry of Health; what are the duties of the women inspectors in the Insurance Department; what is the proportion of higher posts for the men inspectors and what the proportion of higher posts for the women inspectors; and what is the reason of the difference?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe duties of the men inspectors are to secure compliance with the provisions of the National Health and Unemployment Insurance Acts, and to act within their districts as the local executive officers of the Insurance Department of the Ministry of Health. The women inspectors are employed in the inspection of trade where women are mainly employed and in inquiries as to the benefits of insured women.
The numbers of higher and lower posts for men and for women are as follows:
Men: Assistant inspectors 92 Inspectors 57 Divisional inspectors 12 Women: Assistant inspectors 41 Inspectors 17 In addition there are 120 health insurance officers (men) against 19 health insurance officers (women). The women staff is not organised on a divisional basis, and, therefore, there are no divisional inspectors posts for women. As regards the staff generally, the numbers are fixed with strict regard to the requirements of the work.