asked the Minister of Pensions whether any proposals are under consideration for the staffing of area offices of the Ministry with permanent civil servants; and whether, seeing that the chief area officers, deputy chief area officers, and clerks at area offices are all ex-service men, many of them disabled, and that these temporary civil servants have had years of intimate association with pensioners, he will, in the interests of the ex-service men employed in the area offices, restrict employment, other than typists and cleaners, in those offices to the men who have efficiently carried on their duties for many years?

Mr. ROBERTS:

Proposals for staffing the area offices on a permanent basis have been put forward by the staff side of the Departmental Whitley Council, and are at present under consideration by the Council. I recognise the importance of the considerations mentioned by my hon. Friend, and they will not be overlooked when taking a decision.