§ 70. Mr. PENNEFATHERasked the President of the Board of Trade whether there is any appeal tribunal to which rejected claims to pension under the war risks compensation scheme can be submitted at the request of the claimant; if not, whether it is proposed to appoint one; and, if so, whether the claimant will be allowed to appear in person before such tribunal?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of TRADE (Sir W. Mitchell-Thomson)I would refer my 1459 hon. Friend to the reply given on 3rd July to the hon. and learned Member for York (Sir J. Butcher).
§ Mr. PENNEFATHERIs the hon. Baronet aware that that reply has no bearing upon this question, which asks definitely "whether there is any appeal tribunal to which rejected claims to pension under the war risks compensation scheme can be submitted at the request of the claimant"?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONI think that if my hon. Friend consults the reply he will find that the question is dealt with, and dealt with, I think, more fully than he realises. The short answer is that there is an advisory committee, but that advisory committee functions purely as an advisory committee, and not as an appeal tribunal.
§ Mr. PENNEFATHERWould that advisory committee consider a case put forward by the claimant, or does it only consider cases submitted to it by the Board of Trade?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONIf a claimant puts forward a case to the Board of Trade, and the case appears to be such as falls on or near the border-line, it is, as a matter of course, submitted to the advisory committee?
§ Sir J. BUTCHERDoes the hon. Baronet realise that what is asked for is an appeal board and not an advisory committee, and will he consider the propriety of setting up an appeal board as against the present unlimited discretion of the Board of Trade?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONThat is precisely one of the questions which, in reply to the hon. and learned Member last week, my right hon. Friend said he would consider.