(1) The Minister may appoint such and so many of his officers as he thinks proper to be social welfare inspectors for the purposes of such provisions of Parts II, III, IV, V, IX and this Part as he may determine in the case of such appointments.
(2) Every social welfare inspector shall investigate and report to the Minister upon any claim for or in respect of benefit and any question arising on or in relation to such benefit which may be referred to him by the Minister, and may, for the purpose of such investigation and report require -
(a) a claimant or a beneficiary,
(b) the spouse or any employer of the claimant or beneficiary,
(c) in the case of child benefit, any person in charge of a child in respect of whom the claim is made,
(d) a person liable to contribute under section 286(1) or any employer of any such person, and
(e) the personal representative of a person who was at any time in receipt of any benefit,
to furnish him with such information and to produce to him such do