§ Mr. CHARLES DUNCANasked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will state, with reference to the appointment of divisional inspectors for the National Health Insurance Commission (England), whether the minimum age for an inspector given in the public announcements of these posts was twenty-eight years; whether at least one of those appointed was less in age than twenty-eight years; what qualifications this inspector had which led to waiving the rule in his case; whether he had given any, and, if so, what proof of his ability to give to insurance committees and approved societies any assistance that they may require; whether he possessed qualifications in, and previous experience of, friendly society work, trade union work, public health work, or social work; and, if so, will he state the nature and extent of the experience and qualifications, and where they were gained?
§ Mr. MASTERMANIt is the case that the public announcement inviting applications for appointments as inspector under the National Health Insurance Commission specified twenty-eight as the minimum age of candidates. No public announcement was made inviting applications for appointment to the rank of divisional inspector.538W The ages of the divisional inspectors eventually appointed were given in reply to a. question asked on the 17th June by the hon. Member for the College Division 2 of Glasgow. The gentleman to whom my hon. Friend refers is not assigned to a particular division, but is acting as assistant to the chief inspector at headquarters. Previously to his appointment he had been attached for nearly a year to the branch of the Commissioners' head office entrusted with the organisation and control of their inspectorate and had given very remarkable proof of his ability to discharge the duties of the post to which he has been appointed.