§ 27. Mr. Sidney Shephardasked the Attorney-General how many appeals under the appeals tribunals were heard in 1945; and how many appeals passed to his Department in 1945 are still outstanding.
§ The Attorney-General (Sir Hartley Shawcross)I ought, perhaps, to preface my answer by saying that pensions appeals are not passed to or dealt with by my Department, although I answer for the Pensions Appeals Tribunals Office in the House.
In 1945 the number of pensions appeals heard and finally disposed of by the tribunals in England and Wales was 16,206. On 31st March, 1946, 112 of the appeals received by the Pensions Appeal Tribunals Office in 1945 had not been heard. The last figure does not include appeals which, generally at the instance of the applicant, have been adjourned or placed on the deferred list. On 31st March 1236 there were 2,353 such appeals, of which it is not possible to say, without disproportionate expenditure of time, how many were received by the Tribunals Office in 1945.
§ Mr. Henderson StewartDo not the facts show that there is need for an increase in the number of tribunals?
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe facts indicated in my answer, in my view, show nothing of the kind.