asked the Minister of Pensions on what grounds it has been decided to close down the local War pensions office in the Ramsbottom area, No. 19; is he aware that there are 2,500 ex-service men in the area, 600 ex-service men pensioners, and 250 War widows in receipt of pensions; that it will mean that those who still need advice, etc., will have to travel six miles, and in that case who is to bear the expense; and, in view of the fact that the pensions officer, who held a commission in His Majesty's forces and lost a leg in the War, gives invaluable help to these people, being familiar with each individual case, will he reconsider his decision with a view to the office being continued, if not open all the week at least two days per week?

As the volume of current work at Ramsbottom is small it is considered that it can be administered from Bury without occasioning inconvenience to pensioners. I may mention that a resident of Ramsbottom has been appointed a member of the new committee, and that it is one of the duties of committees established under the War Pensions Act, 1921, to secure the assistance and co-operation of voluntary workers in their area.

Does not the hon. Gentleman see that these people are going to be placed at a very serious disadvantage, seeing that they have six miles to go, and has he noted, as stated in the question, that there are 600 ex-service men pensioners and 250 War widows in the area?

We shall, of course, watch the working of this new arrangement, and we shall not continue anything which is in any way wrong, but we have gone into this particular case and ascertainec that in a month which we took as a test, there were only fifty new applications in the whole month. It does not seem economical to keep a whole office, with one highly-paid officer in charge, to deal with a small amount of work.

Mr. ALFRED DAVIES (Clitheroe):

Will the hon. Gentleman deal with that part of the question which has reference to the payment of the expenses of travelling the six miles?

I cannot undertake to pay the expenses of men, unless we are summoning them to a medical board or an examination of that kind.

Has not the hon. Gentleman gathered that applicants are already at a serious disadvantage for advice and so on, and will not these people be at a much worse disadvantage in being so far removed from the centre?

I consider myself that arrangements for a few good, well-organised areas will tend, on the whole, to greater speed in the management of individual cases. It is obviously impossible to keep an office in every place where for a whole month there would be only 50 new applications.