USE AS SCRAP PAPER

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 130, 29 November 1945, Page 9

USE AS SCRAP PAPER

CONFIDENTIAL REPORT A reply that he would be pleased if the member would assist him to procure the document in question so that the responsibility for its distribution could be established, was given by the I Minister of Social Security (Mr. Parry) in the House of Representatives yesterday to a question, of which notice had been given by Mr. W. A. Sheat (National, Patea), who had stated that among papers recently provided for the Karori wireless transmitters for use as scrap paper was a confidential report on a pension applicant. The report had indicated, among other details, that the applicant had suffered terms of imprisonment.

The Minister said it was clear that such a document should not have been distributed for use. It appeared, however, to be equally clear that a mistake could be made because it was necessary, during the critical stages of the war, to salvage old paper froni various Departments for use within the Public Service. All information recorded within the Public Service was strictly confidential and every officer was required to make a statutory declaration that all matters coming to his notice would be kept strictly confidential. It was difficult to understand, therefore, how any information of that type should have come into the possession of anyone outside the Public Service.

"The report referred to," added the Minister, "was probably a very old one, as since the present Government assumed office the former practice of obtaining police reports in every case has been dispensed with."