§ Sir W. de FRECEasked the Minister of Pensions if he has recently received an increased number of complaints as to the slowness characterising the transaction of business in the Issue Department; and, if so, the reasons?
§ Major TRYONI am glad to say that, generally speaking, the number of complaints relating to the work of the Issue Office shows a satisfactory decrease, but there has recently been some slight dislocation of the business of that office during the change to a new system of filing. This change is now practically complete, and I do not anticipate any further difficulty.
§ Sir W. de FRECEasked the Minister of Pensions the total cost of the new-Pensions Issue Department at Acton; the number of staff employed, male and female, respectively; and whether the concentration of business thus effected caused any increase or decrease in the numbers of those employed on the same sort of work previous to the erection of the building?
§ Major TRYONThe total cost of the staff of Pension Issue Office at Acton during the financial year 1922–23 is estimated approximately a I £725,000. The staff now employed there comprises 593 males and 4,214 females, making a total of 4,807. The concentration of business caused some decrease in the numbers employed previous to the erection of the building, but the exact number cannot be stated as it is indistinguishable from the decrease due to reduction of work.