9. Mr. ROBINSONalso asked the Minister of Pensions whether any instructions have been issued to members of the medical boards or the audit staff that the assessment of pensions should be made on the minimum possible basis; and whether he can state the number of cases in which the assessment by the medical board has been reduced since the 1st November. 1924?
Lieut.-Colonel STANLEYNo such instructions have been issued. With regard to the latter part of the question, it has been ascertained that since the 1st 1476 November last, the rate of assessment has been reduced after medical examination, in 12,200 cases, or 16 per cent, of the total, and has been increased in 21,300 cases, or 28 per cent, of the total. The net result of reassessment during the period has been an average increase over all the cases examined in the degree of disablement assessed amounting to as much as 2.7 per cent, in the scale of assessment.
26. Captain T. J. O'CONNORasked the Minister of Pensions whether he proposes to discontinue the practice whereby, when an assessment tribunal has reduced the rate at which disability is payable from 40 per cent. to 20 per cent., but upon appeal the original assessment has been restored, the pensioner is deprived of the arrears of 20 per cent. lost by him during the period intervening between the assessment and the appeal?
Lieut.-Colonel STANLEYThe date from which payment of pension can properly be claimed is that on which it is certified that the man's condition justifies the award. This general rule has been allowed to be modified in certain respects, e.g., where a final award is increased on appeal, which I gather is the case the hon. and gallant Member has in mind, payment is made from the date on which the appeal was entered, instead of the date of the medical examination of the man by the tribunal and their decision.