§ Sir H. NIELDasked the Minister of Pensions when, and by what means, he or his predecessor gave instructions that complaints regarding individual cases should be immediately investigated by the Ministry and reported to him personally; were these instructions ever communicated to the Ealing local pensions committee; if so, when and by what means and, if in writing, identifying the document?
§ Major TRYONThe practice of requiring complaints to be investigated and1460W reports made direct to the Minister in cases where such action appears to him necessary is common to all public departments and has been in force in this Department since its institution. No special instructions in the matter to local committees are called for.
§ Sir H. NIELDasked the Minister of Pensions what is the number of complaints relating to individual cases arising in the area of the Ealing local pensions committee which have reached the Ministry since the commencement of the present year; will he give the names of these cases and state in respect of each of them whether it was found necessary to cause an inspector or auditor to make an inspection at the offices of the local committee; and when the inspection was held, by whom, and for what specific purpose?
§ Major TRYONIt would be impossible without an exhaustive investigation of the correspondence in all branches of the Ministry to identify all individual complaints which have been received from the area of any particular local Committee, and I should not be justified in interrupting the work of this Department in order to furnish the information desired.