§ 12. Mr. LANSBURYasked the Minister of Pensions how many of the 700 mental cases his Department proposed to transfer to the pauper class under the Poor Law authorities were passed as fit for service when joining the forces, and how many of these served overseas; and whether it is his intention to put into operation the principle that a man passed fit for service and disabled during service should without question be classified as fit for pension or maintenance for himself and his dependants from national funds?
§ Major TRYONAs I have already stated, appeals to the tribunal are pending in a large number of these cases, and those in respect of which no appeal has been lodged are being carefully reviewed in the Ministry. Until the appeals have been decided and the review completed, I shall not be in a position to give definitely the particulars asked for in the first part of the question. As regards the last part of the question, I would point out that it has always been a fundamental principle of the Royal Pensions Warrants administered by me that compensation is due to those officers or soldiers only who are disabled in and by their service.
§ Mr. LANSBURYIn deciding these cases, will the right hon. Gentleman take into consideration the fact that a man who served overseas must of necessity have been passed as fit to serve overseas, and that if, when he came back, he is mentally deranged, that must have been caused by his war service?
§ Major TRYONGoing overseas is strongly in favour of the claims of a man.
§ Mr. LANSBURYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in the case I put before him a week ago the man had served overseas and his father is now called upon to maintain him in a pauper lunatic asylum?
§ Major TRYONThat is a case on which the hon. Member asked me a supplementary question a week ago. He suggested that this man had been enlisted as A 1, but I find that he was enlisted as C2.
§ Mr. LANSBURYYes, but he served overseas. That was the point of my question. He was fit to serve overseas, therefore his father ought not to be called upon to pay for him as a pauper lunatic. It is a disgrace to the right hon. Gentleman's Department to allow it. You cannot wriggle out of that.