§ 30. Mr. Ammonasked the Minister of Pensions whether he will give the number of cases to which the Comptroller and Auditor-General has drawn attention in which persons have obtained pensions through the carelessness of officials and/or fraudulence by dishonest persons; and whether prosecutions have been instituted?
§ The Minister of Pensions (Sir Walter Womersley)Full information as to our issues in the year is set out in the Notes to Subhead LL of the Appropriation Account for my Department for 1941, which has been presented to the House. It is not possible to specify the number of cases to which attention was drawn by the Comptroller and Auditor-General and not by my own Department, but these would represent a very small fraction of the total. Legal proceedings are taken in all appropriate cases.
§ 31. Mr. Tinkerasked the Minister of Pensions how many cases have been refused pensions who have passed into the Army as being medically fit and then had to be discharged on medical grounds?
§ 32. Mr. A. Edwardsasked the Minister of Pensions how many men accepted into the Services and since discharged as unfit have had pension claims disallowed as disability is not due to, or exaggerated by, war service.
§ Sir W. WomersleyThe figures asked for by the hon. Members would enable an estimate to be made of the numbers invalided from the Forces, and it would not be in the public interest to give them.
§ Mr. John DugdaleDoes the right hon. Gentleman not agree that the figures are 1310 very large and show considerable hardship?
§ Sir W. WomersleyNo, I do not agree with either suggestion.