§ 38. Flying-Officer Bowdenasked the Minister of Pensions how many cases were heard before Pensions Appeals Boards in the period 1st July, 1945, to 31st March, 1946; and in how many of these cases were the applicants for pensions successful.
§ Mr. Wilfred PalingThe number of appeals heard by pensions appeal tribunals in the period from 1st July, 1945, to 30th March, 1946, was 19,275, of which 3796 were successful and 4,145 were adjourned for various reasons.
Flying-Officer Bon denDoes not the Minister agree that although a large number of these cases have been successful they ought never to have reached the appeal stage but ought to have been granted before?
§ Mr. PalingThe Ministry have to deal with hundreds of thousands of cases and it is inevitable that some of these go through. The tribunals were set up in order to deal with this matter and to make sure that pensioners and appellants have a fair deal.
§ Mr. Sidney ShephardHow many applications to go to appeal tribunals were made in 1945 and have still not been sent to the Attorney-General's Department?
§ Mr. PalingI could not give that information without notice.
§ 43. Colonel Ropnerasked the Minister of Pensions the number of applications for pensions by ex-Servicemen, rejected before the appeal tribunals were formed, who have now been accepted by these tribunals as eligible for pension.
§ 32. Mr. Basil Nieldasked the Minister of Pensions the number of Service pension claims originally refused by his Department which have subsequently been allowed by him with recourse to the appeals tribunals since such tribunals were set up.
§ Mr. Wilfred PalingOf the 36,016 Service appeals decided by the Pensions Appeals Tribunals up to 3oth March, 1946, 9,110 were allowed.