§ 29. Mr. Haleasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance in how many cases in the 12 months to the latest convenient date a war disablement pension has been applied for on the ground of schizophrenia and in how many cases it has been granted.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterIn the year ended 31st December, 1961, 33 claims for war pension were accepted and 67 rejected in cases in which schizophrenia was definitely established. In other cases of claims based on psychosis it is probable that schizophrenia will be ultimately diagnosed.
§ Mr. HaleI am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for his offer to see me about this case, which I am most glad to accept. On the general issue, will he bear in mind that so long as we have a seven-year rule there are so many diseases now of dubious origin but to which medical specialists are disposed to attribute congenital, idiopathic or idiosyncratic causes that the onus of proof can never be discharged in relation to one of these diseases because no one can establish how it originated? I put this point seriously to the right hon. Gentleman for his consideration and look forward to talking to him about it.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterI shall be glad to see the hon. Gentleman on the individual case. On the broader question, the facts which I have given, and bearing in mind the recent period to which they relate, show that the question of onus does not prevent the award of war disability pensions for this distressing complaint in quite a number of cases.