§ 23. Mr. LAWSONasked the Minister of Pensions how many awards of pension 1997 have been made to men suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis as the result of war service; what is the number of men suffering from this disability at present in receipt of pension; whether he can state the average duration of the life of a pensioner suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis from the date of the award of pension until death; and the number of pensioners who have been cured of pulmonary tuberculosis by treatment administered by the local health authorities?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of PENSIONS (Lieut.-Colonel Stanley)I regret that the information asked for in the first part of the question is not available, as the earlier records of the Ministry do not distinguish pulmonary tuberculosis from other chest complaints. During the last 5½ years, however, approximately 14,000 cases have been admitted to compensation in respect of disablement arising from this disease. The number of men in receipt of pension for pulmonary tuberculosis at the present time is, approximately, 36,500. I regret that I have no information regarding the last two parts of the question.
§ Mr. R. MORRISONCan the hon. and gallant Gentleman give any information as to the very large number of ex-service men who are suffering from tuberculosis but whose cases have been proved not to be attributable to war service?
§ Lieut.-Colonel STANLEYI cannot at the moment say what the numbers are, but, obviously, those men have their right of appeal. The explanation must be that the disease was not contracted on active service.
§ Mr. MORRISONIs the hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that the great difficulty these men have, who develop tuberculosis two or three years after the War was finished, is to prove the connection with war service?
§ Lieut.-Colonel STANLEYWe do our best to assist a man but, obviously, we must connect up the fact of the tuberculosis with the War service.
26. Mr. GILLETTasked the Minister of Pensions if instructions have been sent to tuberculosis officers to intimate to their ex-service patients, who have been under treatment for periods of from 1998 three to six years to get light work; and whether, seeing that some patients, who have been so informed, are advanced cases of tuberculosis, and that with so many unemployed it is impossible for such ex-service men to secure the light work ordered, he will withdraw these instructions?
§ Lieut.-Colonel STANLEYIt would not be competent to the Ministry of Pensions to issue instructions to tuberculosis officers regarding the medical treatment of cases under their care, and no such instructions have been issued.