§ 21. Mr. McENTEEasked the Home Secretary whether he will state the grounds on which the special pension awarded to ex-Constable Pattenden, Metropolitan Police, has been reduced; what method of calculation was employed; and whether, in view of this officer's total disability due to bullet wounds received when arresting an armed criminal, and, as he is a married man, with three children, with no prospects of further employment, he will consider this matter with the view to restoration of full pension?
§ Sir J. GILMOURPattenden's pension is calculated on the basis laid down in the Police Pensions Act, 1921, and accordingly its amount depends on the degree to which his earning capacity in any employment is affected. When the pension came up for review this March, Patten-den's degree of disablement was found on medical evidence to have fallen from 100 per cent. to 90 per cent. and under the Act his pension had to be reduced accordingly in that proportion. He has now exercised his right of appeal under Section 12 (8) of the Act against the revised assessment of 90 per cent., and steps are being taken to submit the appeal to an independent referee, whose decision will be binding on me as police authority in fixing the amount of the pension for the next 12 months.