§ 3. Mr. HAYESasked the Minister of Pensions whether, in cases of appeal by a widow or orphan children of an ex-service man whose medical history discloses venereal disease, he will sanction the omission of all reference thereto from the précis sent to the widow or other appellant when such disease has no relationship to the cause of death?
§ Major TRYONIt has been the consistent policy of the Ministry, reinforced by repeated representations, to make the précis in a case of appeal a complete statement of the man's medical history as known to the Ministry, in order that the tribunal may have before it precisely the same and as full information as that on which the Ministry came to their decision. The Ministry are not in a position to determine the view which the tribunal may take as regards the connection between the cause of death and any other disease of which there is evidence in the man's medical history. The ease for presenting a complete statement to the tribunal is in my view so important that I could not authorise any exception to the rule.
§ Mr. HAYESWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether he has received any representation from the local advisory councils on this matter?
§ Major TRYONThe point has been raised frequently, but, as regards Advisory Councils, I should like to refer 595 to the records in the matter in order to see how it stands. It has presented very great difficulty for many years past. It is a very difficult question, as the hon. Member well knows.