§ Captain BOWYERasked the Secretary of State for War whether it is now taking 11 days to get even an acknowledgment of a letter written on behalf of a constituent to the War Office: and will he explain the reasons for this delay and have the matter investigated and expedited?
§ Sir A. WILLIAMSONIt is a standing rule of the office that letters such as those referred to by the hon. and gallant Member should receive an acknowledgment in all cases where an immediate reply is not possible, and if he will furnish me with particulars of the cases he has in mind, I will have further inquiry made into the matter. Apart from this, however, I am afraid that some delay in sending definite replies is frequently inevitable owing to the nature of the issues raised and to the fact that the inflow of correspondence from the public is five times what it was in pre-War days and is not falling off in proportion to the reductions of staff which 1927W in the interests of economy have been and are being carried out.