§ 1. Mr. T. GRIFFITHSasked the Minister of Pensions the number of appeals that have been dealt with by the Cardiff 2338 Appeals Tribunal during the last 12 months, and the number that have been successful?
§ 2. Mr. ACLANDasked the Minister of Pensions whether he can give a return of the percentage of cases allowed and refused by the Pensions Appeal Tribunal, No. 19, which has lately been sitting at Exeter, during their work there in comparison with similar figures for other tribunals which have sat at Exeter and with the average figures for the country?
§ 3. Sir R. NEWMANasked the Minister of Pensions what number of appeal cases have been granted and refused by the Pensions Appeal Tribunal, No. 19, since its constitution and during its recent sittings at Exeter; and whether he can give comparative figures for other tribunals for the same or similar periods?
§ 4 and 5. Mr. BROMFIELDasked the Minister of Pensions (1) the total number of officers who have made appeals to the Pensions Appeal Tribunals; the number of appeals that have been successful;
(2) the total number of ex-service noncommissioned officers and men who have made appeals to the Pensions Appeal Tribunals; and the number of appeals that have been successful?
§ The ATTORNEY - GENERAL (Sir Ernest Pollock)I have been asked to reply. As these questions raise the same point, I will answer them together. I cannot undertake to give the figures asked for. I refer the hon. Members to my answer to the hon. Member for Workington given on Tuesday last. A comparison of the number of cases that succeed or fail before one tribunal with the number that succeed or fail before another tribunal, with the consequent percentages of their relation to each other is to be deprecated, as I pointed out in my speech to the House on Thursday last upon the Supplementary Vote. There is no numerical standard to which a judicial tribunal ought to conform on hearing appeals. Their duty is to hear the evidence and decide accordingly in each case that comes before them.
§ 17. Mr. J. GUESTasked the Minister of Pensions if he is aware that many ex-service men are, when called upon to 2339 appear before the Appeals Tribunal, in a state of health which prevents them doing justice to their case, and that in some cases they are unable to attend; and if he will undertake to make some financial provision in order that a reasonable fee may be paid to the local doctor, who usually has had the case in hand, or some other person selected by the person appealing, and whose knowledge of the case will assist the tribunal in arriving at an equitable decision?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of PENSIONS (Major Tryon)I understand that provision is made in the Regulations of the pensions appeal tribunals for the hearing of a case to be adjourned if the appellant is unable owing to illness to appear; and if he is likely to be unable to do so for an indefinite time, one or two representatives are appointed by the chairman to visit the appellant and take down his evidence. The tribunal already has power, where any difficult medical or surgical question arises, to obtain a report from a specialist.