§ 17. Mr. DOBBIEasked the Minister of Pensions whether, in view of the objection received from the Rotherham War Pensions Committee, he will reconsider his action in refusing treatment allowances to a man named Dawson whilst undergoing in-patient treatment in the Ministry of Pensions Hospital at Leeds, 501 and whose dependants in consequence had to be supported by public assistance instead of from State funds?
§ The MINISTER of PENSIONS (Major Tryon)The special allowances referred to are provided by the Royal Warrant to meet the circumstances of cases in which the patient suffers loss of earnings in consequence of his treatment by having to give up temporarily a remunerative occupation on which he was dependent for the support of himself and his family. Consideration is always given to cases where a man is no more than temporarily and for a brief period unemployed at the time of commencement of treatment, but, in the case of Mr. Dawson, the position was that, except for a fortnight's work in 1930, he had not followed any employment for over five years prior to his admission to hospital, and in these circumstances treatment allowances could not be paid to him. While Mr. Dawson was in hospital, he was maintained free of cost to himself and his pension continued to be paid in full for the benefit of his family.