§ 33. Mr. PETOasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether his attention has been called to the fact that, under the injuries in war compensation scheme now in force, the minimum pension for the widow of an officer in the mercantile marine under Admiralty employ who loses his life is £35 16s. 11d. a year, and that the allowances for children vary from £6 10s. 4d. to £13 0s. 8d., whereas the minimum pension to the widow of a sublieutenant, Royal Navy, is £100 a year with £24 per year additional in the case of each child; and whether it is proposed to withdraw the present scheme of minimum pensions and raise the pensions for officers and their dependants to at least the amount of the ordinary Service scale?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the latter part, the question of the practicability of apply- 645 ing the Service scale to these officers, it is at present under the consideration of the Treasury.
§ Mr. PETODoes the Department agree that there is no question of principle that this concession should be made to' the officers in the mercantile marine under the Admiralty, and that it is purely a matter for the Treasury to pay the necessary money?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI do not think it is quite that. The mercantile marine rates of pay—I do not want to prejudice the principle at all—are different from the naval rates, and there are questions of administration which will have to be gone into before we can arrive at a settlement which I hope will be an early one.
§ 35. Colonel ASHLEYasked the Pensions Minister whether he is aware that Mr. E. H. Vant, who was formerly an officer in the Lincoln Regiment and who was gazetted out of the Service and placed on pension on 31st March, 1916, was taken seriously ill with rheumatic fever on 8th May, 1917; that a letter was issued by the War Office authorising his admission to the Royal Herbert Hospital, Woolwich, and was sent to the Supply and Transport, who forwarded the same to the Eastern Command; that the Eastern Command in turn forwarded instructions to the A.D.M.S., Woolwich; that in spite of several telephonic communications no authorisation reached this officer that permission had been granted to undergo treatment at the Royal Herbert Hospital, Woolwich; that he had to pay for his own nursing and medical expenses; that upon his recovery on the 5th September, 1917, a telegram was sent from Woolwich as follows: "B/2575/917. A.A.A. I hold authority for you to be admitted to this hospital for further treatment. Kindly wire date and hour convenient for motor ambulance to fetch you here, please. Commanding Royal Herbert Hospital"; that this officer applied to the Ministry of Pensions asking that, in view of the negligence on the part of the A.D.M.S., Woolwich, they would grant him a refund of the money expended upon his treatment (about £73); and that a letter was received, dated 19th February, 1918, and signed by Lieutenant Eicholz, stating that it was regretted that the Ministry was unable to grant him any assistance; and whether, in view of these circumstances and the fact that authority to this officer to go into hospital miscarried, an inquiry 646 will be instituted with a view to getting refunded to him the money expended by him upon his treatment?
§ The MINISTER of PENSIONS (Mr. Hodge)Mr. Vant was invalided for neurasthenia in March, 1916. More than a year after his relinquishment of his commission he contracted rheumatic fever and the authorities of the Royal Herbert Hospital offered to admit him, although there was no obligation to do so, as the disability was not that for which he was invalided. The officer submitted a claim in respect of his expenses to the Ministry of Pensions, but the Director of Medical Services considered that the rheumatic fever could not be regarded as the result, either direct or indirect, of the neurasthenia for which this officer was invalided; and as under the Royal Warrant treatment is only provided for the disability which is the cause of invaliding, the claim was not one which could be dealt with by the Ministry. Needless to say, my Department were in no way concerned with any failure to admit the officer to hospital.
§ Colonel ASHLEYDoes the right hon. Gentleman agree that a promise was made to admit this officer to the hospital, and that that promise was not carried out; and is he aware that this officer had to pay £73 out of his own pocket—surely the State should reimburse this sum, which was put upon him owing to the failure of the Department to carry out its promise?
§ Mr. HODGEThere is no obligation so far as the Pensions Ministry is concerned. With respect to the latter part of the hon. Member's supplementary question, if the hon. Member will put another question I will make inquiries.
§ Mr. HOGGECan my hon. Friend say what authority there is in the Warrant for the statement that any disabled officer or man is not entitled to claim for any subsequent disease at any subsequent period for any further disability that arises?
§ Mr. HODGEThe disability must be one arising out of the service. In this case the medical officer says it did not arise out of the service.
§ Mr. HOGGECan my right hon. Friend say that did not arise out of the cause for which he was invalided? Will he tell the House of any authority that he or the Government have for discontinuing to any 647 soldier, officer or man, in any subsequent period a pension for any disability that can be attributable to the service?
§ 38. Captain SHEEHANasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Pensions whether any medical referees have been or will be appointed in Ireland for the purposes of the pensions administration in that country; if so, what are their qualifications; and can he indicate the medical men from whom applications might be received?
§ Mr. HODGEIt is proposed to appoint medical referees in Ireland; the qualifications necessary will be the same as those required for similar posts in Great Britain. Any registered practitioner of substantial experience in general practice is entitled to apply. I have for some time been in negotiation with the Local Government Board for Ireland and with the National Health Insurance Commissioners (Ireland) with a view to making arrangements for these appointments and other matters, and a representative of the Ministry is very shortly visiting Ireland in this connection.
§ Captain SHEEHANWill the representative of the Ministry see those medical men who have already made application for appointment?
§ Mr. HODGEI do not know that it will be possible to meet everyone who has applied, but that is one of the purposes of the visit.
§ Mr. HOGGEWhat is the remedy of an Irish officer who, in the meantime, is dissatisfied with the assessment of his disability?
§ Mr. HODGEThe local committee have got power to send them to any local practitioner and to pay for it.
§ 54. Mr. ROWLANDSasked the Prime Minister whether any decision has yet been arrived at to grant an increase of pensions to old soldiers and widows?
§ 59. Mr. CROOKSasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is now in a position to make any statement regarding the possibility of increasing the pensions now payable to old soldiers in respect of previous wars?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI will answer these questions together. I hope that my right hon. Friend the Minister for Pensions will be able to make an announcement at an early date.
§ Mr. ROWLANDSCan the right hon. Gentleman expedite that answer? It is two months since he told me that the question was being considered.
§ Mr. BONAR LAWIn consequence of these questions, I have made a communication to the authorities concerned.
§ Mr. HOGGEHas my right hon. Friend seen the speech of the Minister of Pensions, in which he says that he is prepared to stand or fall by the increase which the Treasury has now turned down, and will he say what he intends to do before the Adjournment Debate on Thursday, when the matter will be raised if it is not settled?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI have seen the report of my right hon. Friend's speech, and I have no doubt that, like every other Minister, he will be prepared to stand or fall by what he thinks is right if it is not done.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe right hon. Gentleman has answered.
§ 77. Captain BARNETTasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether Lance-Corporal A. Gibbons, No. 18164, a soldier resident in London but now stationed at the Irish Command Depot, Tipperary, has recently lost his wife and been left with three children aged eleven, nine, and four years, respectively, and that the aggregate allowance payable to provide rent, food, and clothes for these three children is 19s. per week; and, if so, whether he will take steps to secure the amendment of the Warrant in such manner that children losing the benefit of separation allowance through the death of their mother may receive an additional weekly grant in lieu thereof?
§ Mr. HODGELocal war pensions committees have power to grant an allowance in a case where a soldier loses his wife and a relative or other person comes into his home and acts as guardian of his children. If the hon. and gallant Member will send me Lance-Corporal Gibbons' home address, I will communicate with his local committee.