§ 29. Mr. CLARKEasked the Home Secretary if he is aware that where a workman agrees to go before a medical referee in terms of Section 10, paragraph (1), of the principal Act (1906) he, the workman, is now being charged one-half of the referee's fee (21s.), exclusive of the sheriff clerk dues, this being contrary to the above Section, which provides that charges be met by Parliament; and will he take steps to stop such charges and have such payments refunded to the workman?
Mr. HENDERSONI understand the hon. Member to refer to cases referred to a medical referee under paragraph (15) of the First Schedule to the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1906. If so, the matter is governed by Section 25 of the amending Act of 1923, which provides that, notwithstanding anything in Section 10 of the Act of 1906, the fees for the services of the medical referee in such cases shall in future be borne by the applicant or applicants for the reference. I have no power under the Act to suspend or modify this provision.