§ 53. Mr. SAKLATVALAasked the Minister of Pensions whether he will inquire into the case of Mrs. B. P. Robinson, of Bradford, the widow of the late Lieutenant. Herbert Norman Robinson, late of the Royal Field Artillery, whose death certificate states that he died of aortic aneurism, a disease which, owing to the length of time it takes to develop, could only have been contracted during his period of Army service which extended from 1897 to 1923, with one short break; on what grounds do the Ministry dispute that this disease was the cause of his death; is he,aware that in the meantime this lady is subsisting on a pension of;£45 per annum with a compassionate allowance of only £16 per annum for her daughter, who is at a secondary School and in view of her schofastic record should he assisted by the fullest educational allowance; and will he see that these payments are' adequately increased?
Lieut.-Colonel STANLEYMrs. Robinson has already exercised her right of appeal against the Ministry's decision to the statutory Pensions Appeal Tribunal, and both she and the Tribunal were furnished with a statement of all the evidence and the grounds for the Ministry's inability to regard the officer's death as due to disease attributable to or aggravated by his war service. After hearing the appellant herself, the Tribunal rejected the appeal and their decision on this issue is final. In these circumstances, I have no power to make any addition to the pension and allowance which are being paid by the War Office in respect of the officer's service.
§ Mr. SAKLATVALAIs the Minister prepared to see the education of a girl discontinued for the want of means?
Lieut.-Colonel STANLEYThe fact of the matter is that this appeal went to the Appeal Tribunal, whose decision is binding on the Minister as well as on the appellant.