§ 1. Mr. R. MORRISONasked the Minister of Pensions in view of the fact that the Special Grants Committee up to 2084 March, 1925, made allowances in respect of 2,759 cases of officers and their dependants and 1,664 cases of men and their dependants, if he can state how many applications on behalf of officers' cases were rejected and how many on behalf of men's cases; and whether he can explain the disproportion in the amount of the grants made as between officers and men?
§ The MINISTER of PENSIONS (Major Tryon)The figures quoted by the hon. Member relate to the total number of cases in which allowances were in issue at March, 1925, whether awarded during the preceding year or earlier. I am unable to give corresponding figures as to the number of cases in which the application was rejected. The disproportion between the number of grants in issue as between officers and non-commissioned ranks is due to the fact that certain forms of additional allowance which are provided for by warrant in the case of non-commissioned ranks are in the case of officers administered on a discretionary basis by the Special Grants Committee.
§ Mr. MORRISONIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that it is a considerable time since the Special Grants Committee was appointed, and does he not think the time has come for a review of the personnel of the Committee?
§ Major TRYONAs the hon. Member has mentioned that point, I may say that I am going into the constitution of the Committee myself, but not in this connection.