§ Lord H. CAVENDISH -BENTINCKasked the Minister of Pensions, with reference to the contemplated transfer of the East Midlands Region, if he will state on what date or approximate date the work of the awards and other brandies will be transferred to Birmingham; what proportion of the temporary staff will be transferred to Birmingham, and if any will be transferred elsewhere; what length of notice the members of the staff not so transferred will receive and when such notice will be circulated; whether he has considered the difficulty the transferred men will have in finding suitable accommodation; and whether he will guarantee that no additional staff be engaged in other regions whilst there remains a surplus staff in Nottingham?
§ Major TRYONI propose to effect the transfer of the work from Nottingham to Birmingham gradually. Any additional staff required in Birmingham as a result of the transfer will be recruited, if possible, from the staff possessing the necessary qualifications who are displaced at Nottingham. Adequate notice—in any ease, not less than two months—will be736W given to the staff whose services will no longer be required. In view of the continued fall in the work of my Ministry, I do not anticipate the necessity for engaging any additional staff in other regions. Arrangements have, however, been in force for some time past to offer employment to redundants in preference to engaging new staff in other regions.