§ 90. Mr. W. C. ROBINSONasked the Minister of Pensions how many meetings of the Central Advisory Committee were held in each of the years 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, and 1924: what recommendations were made in each of the respective years; and whether any were adopted by the Ministry of Pensions?
§ Captain Viscount CURZON (Lord of the Treasury)I have been asked to reply. Meetings of the Central Advisory Committee have been held as follows: The Committee having only been constituted by the War Pensions Act of 1921, the first meeting was held in December of that year; two meetings were held in 1922, three in 1923, none in 1924, and one in 1925. The procedure of the Advisory Committee is, appropriately to its constitution, one of free discussion rather than of formal resolution, and does not therefore lend itself to a detailed summary of the various matters on which recommendations have been made and accepted by the Minister. But I understand that it has been the policy to lay before the Committee for their consideration and advice all pro- 1127 posals of importance or difficulty (such as the draft Regulations for final awards in 1921, those for the review of dependants' pensions and War Pension Committee Regulations in 1922, the proposals for the amendment of Article 17 relating to widows in 1923, and, at the latest meeting, the working of final awards and of treatment allowances). My right hon. Friend informs me that the Ministry has been enabled from time to time to effect many improvements in regulation or administration in accordance with the advice tendered by the Committee.