§ Mr. Goldingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now review the recruitment, training and control of investigators on social security work.
§ Mr. DeanOfficers selected to be special investigators are drawn from local office staffs and generally have had considerable experience of local office supplementary benefit work and the normal training given to all executive officers. They are initially trained on this job by experienced special investigators and by202W the regional officer responsible for all staff engaged on this work. They also visit headquarters for instruction by staff in the division responsible for the policy relating to special investigation.
Recruitment, therefore, is a matter of selection from serving officers and the present procedure works satisfactorily. The present arrangements for training and control also appear to be satisfactory when it is borne in mind that these officers have no special powers and are engaged on work which is appropriate to local office staffs. Their appointment and employment on these duties is primarily to relieve local offices of complex or time-consuming cases which might otherwise delay the day-to-day work.