§ Mr. W. GRAHAMasked the Minister of Pensions whether his attention has been drawn to the provisions of paragraph 242 E (1) (a) of the local war pensions committees' handbook, under which it has been ruled that when a man engaged by a municipal corporation or other body contributes to sick pay by weekly deductions from his wages, deductions fall to be made from his treatment allowances under the Ministry of Pensions in respect of this sick pay; and whether, having regard to the fact that he is really sacrificing wages for this provision under the arrangements of these municipal bodies, that that is a special condition of his employment, and that it is unjust that he should be penalised in this manner by the Ministry of Pensions, especially as full treatment allowances are paid to men who have suffered no such deduction from their wages, he will look into this matter?
§ Major TRYONI would remind my hon. Friend that, by the express terms of Article 6 of the Warrant, the specially increased allowances authorised by that Article are only payable when the pensioner is found to be unable, in consequence of the course of treatment given him, to provide for the support of himself and his family. It is, therefore, a condition of the grant of these allowances that the pensioners shall not, at the same time, draw both the maximum allowance and also either wages or payment, such as sick pay, in lieu of wages. This is a reasonable condition, and is one which the Ministry have consistently adopted since the Pension Warrants assumed their present form in 1917.