§ Sir A. HOLBROOKasked the Minister of Pensions what are the special qualifications, medical or otherwise, of each of the under-named officers without overseas service, which render their retention in the service of the Ministry, in the interests of the pensioner, more desirable than that of the officers with oversea service and in some cases with a war disability whose full-time services are about to be terminated: Dr. A. C. Pickett, Bristol (no overseas service), Dr. A. Williams, Brighton (no service during the War), Dr. J. D. Allen, Bath, and Dr. T. Sheedy, Ministry Headquarters, London; whether he is aware that one of their number only obtained his medical qualifications in the year 1916 and has had practically no experience in the medical practice of his profession since that date, having been employed by the Ministry of Pensions, since he joined the Ministry, on 52W purely administrative duties of a subordinate nature during the past five years; and whether he has been told that he is to succeed an officer with overseas service and a war disability whose services are to be dispensed with, part of whose duties consist in visiting pensioners at their homes and the holding of medical clinics?
§ Majar TRYONThe considerations governing the selection of medical officers of the Ministry of Pensions for further employment were fully explained in a reply which I gave the hon. and gallant Member on the 12th February, and it is due solely to those considerations that the officers mentioned in the question are being retained.