§ 7. Mr. WHITELEYasked the Minister of Pensions whether, seeing that the Ministry of Pensions Circular No. 31 provides that, in cases where members of area war pensions committees and advisory councils claim for loss of time and subsistence, the maximum payment for a day shall be 10s. 6d. and, in the cases where the member is absent from home for a night, 20s., and that this results in members not receiving compensation for the full amount of wages lost, he will withdraw the circular and issue instructions that in future members of the war pensions committees and/or advisory councils shall receive full compensation for wages lost plus subsistence allowance where, owing to long absence from home, they may be entitled to the same?
§ Major TRYONComposite maximum rates of payment, where both loss of time and subsistence allowance are claimed, are in my judgment reasonable, and experience has not shown any ground for a general increase of them.
§ Mr. WHITELEYDoes the right hon. Gentleman not realise that in the case of a workman who is compelled to lose a day's work to attend these committees and whose day's wage may amount to, say, 8s. this is a big reduction, and, including his expenses, it would come to about 12s. or 13s.?
§ Major TRYONI understand that the maximum amount, including the subsistence allowance for a whole day and night, comes to £1, and I think that is not an unreasonable contribution from the State
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSIf a night is spent away from home in the case of a man attending a committee does the right hon. Gentleman not think that an extra grant might be made?
§ Major TRYONThat is provided for, and under those circumstances the individual concerned can draw up to £1 for the whole period. I do not think that is an unreasonable contribution