§ 10. Mr. HORE-BELISHAasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what procedure is followed in the case of those men invalided from His Majesty's Navy who desire to question the decision of the medical officer, which deprives them of pension rights; and whether the medical officer's report, which is the basis of the complaint, is referred to and taken as evidence of the correctness of that Report?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANAll representations made by the rating prior to the medical survey are carefully considered by the board of survey. These and any further representations made by him or on his behalf subsequent to the invaliding are carefully investigated by the medical authorities at the Admiralty in conjunction with the rating's medical history and with reference to conditions of his service. Any medical report which may be the basis of the complaint is referred to and taken as evidence subject to further investigations or other evidence.
§ 11. Mr. HORE-BELISHAasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if, when he reached his decision not to institute an appeal tribunal for those naval ratings who are invalided by Service doctors and who are dissatisfied with the decisions which deprive them of their pension rights, he had present in his mind that 95 per cent. of those invalided from His Majesty's Navy during the year 1925 were deprived of their careers and pension rights on the ground that their disabilities were not attributable; and whether he will reconsider this decision?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANAll relevant particulars were taken into account in arriving at the decision not to establish an appeal tribunal for ratings invalided from the Service. I would remind the hon. Member that although it is not within the powers of the Admiralty to compensate ratings for loss of career owing to invaliding for a non-attributable disability, ratings who have rendered a certain minimum period of service are granted pensions even if the disability is not attributable.