§ Sir H. NIELDasked the Minister of Pensions whether, having regard to his statement to the effect that he did not contemplate putting a representative of non-commissioned officers or ex-service men on the departmental committee inquiring into the administration of the Pensions Ministry, for the reasons that it was for the ex-service men to bring charges and not to be judges, he will take care to substitute for the permanent secretary and the two assistant secretaries of the Ministry as members of such committee other and independent persons, in order that they may be in a position to give evidence in refutation of the charges brought against the administration of the Ministry, and not be the judges of their own cause?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONThe answer is in the negative.
§ Sir H. NIELDasked the Minister of Pensions whether he will refer to the committee which has been formed for the purpose of inquiring into the whole subject of the administration of pensions the question of the grievances of the Ealing local war pensions committee against the administrative officers of the Ministry concerning the treatment of the com-1258W mittee since January last, and in respect of which no charge or particulars of misconduct has yet been formulated?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI am not prepared to accept this suggestion. The purpose of the departmental committee is to inquire into the system of administration of pensions as a whole, and not to investigate individual grievances.