NEW PERMANENT HEAD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22009, 16 January 1935, Page 10

NEW PERMANENT HEAD

REPORTS CONFIRMED PRIME MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT [Bt TELEGEAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION'] WELLINGTON, Tuesday The Prime Minister, 3\tr. Forbes, announced to-day that the position of permanent head of the Prime Minister's Department, formerly held by the late Mr. F. D. Thomson, had been filled by the appointment of Mr. C. A. Berendsen, Secretary of tber s External Affairs Department and Imperial Affairs officer in the Prime Minister's Department. Mr. Berendsen would still retain his present position of Secretary for External Affairs, and his duties as Imperial Affairs officer would be absorbed in his new office. Mr. Forbes also stated that the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, as president of the Executive Council, had concurred in the appointment of Mr. C. A. Jeffery, chief private secretary to the Prime Minister, as clerk of the Executive Council. Mr. Jeffery had also been appointed to the position of secretary to the Cabinet. A Press Association message from Wellington, published on Saturday, stated that it was certain Mr. Berendsen would be appointed permanent head • of the Prime Minister's Department. The message also said that Mr. Jeffery. private secretary to the Prime Minister, who had been acting-clerk of the Executive Council, would continue in the dual position. Subsequent to the publication of the message, Mr., Forbes stated, concerning Air. Berendsen's reported appointment: "Nothing will be done until Cabinet considers the matter. The appointment is a Cabinet matter and is not in the hands of the Public Service Commissioner. The Executive Council would make the appointment, and consequently it will not be made uijtil the Governor-General is present, as he is the chairman of the council."-