§ 3. Mr. Thomas Macphersonasked the Minister of Pensions how many ex-Ser-vicemen and women whose appeals to pensions appeal tribunals were disallowed before 1st August, 1946, have exercised their right to apply again to his Department for a pension; how many of those applications have now been granted; how many are still under consideration; how many whose applications were rejected have made an additional appeal to a special arbitration tribunal; and with what results.
§ Mr. Wilfred PalingThe number of applications for review of the Ministry's decision received up to 15th October was just under 9,000. My Department have reviewed 860, and the application has been allowed in 90 cases. In the 770 cases where the decision has been maintained 170 requests for reference to the Arbitration Tribunal have so far been received The remaining 8,100 cases are under consideration. In some of these the applicant is already in receipt of pension on the ground of aggravation by war service but is claiming that his condition was attributable thereto.
§ Mr. MacphersonCould my right hon. Friend tell the House what arrangements he has made in setting up the special tribunal to which he referred in his answer?
§ Mr. PalingI do not set up the tribunal; that is for the Lord Chancellor's Department. The business has gone ahead, and we hope to have a tribunal sitting by some time in December.
§ Mr. Walter FletcherWill the Minister see that in these tribunals a new spirit is invoked and inculcated; and that they will consider cases on their merits and not merely with the idea of saving the public purse?