§ 2. Captain SIDNEY HERBERTasked the Minister of Pensions whether he can see his way to make permanent the pensions of all disabled ex-service men who have been in receipt of a pension for four years or more; and whether he will take steps to grant the statutory right of appeal in cases of deterioration to all pensioners in receipt of a permanent disability pension when the claim is supported by medical evidence?
Mr. ROBERTSThe Final Awards Regulations, made over two years ago in pursuance of Section 4 of the War Pensions Act, 1921, provide that every case which has been on the pension list for four years shall be considered for a final award. This is being done, and already about 220,000 final awards of pension have been made, but when it is found by medical examiation that the man's pensionable condition is likely to change materially in the near future, I do not think it would be desirable to make a final award. As regards the second part of the question, I am, as I have already announced, reviewing the administration of the Final Awards Regulations.