§ Mr. LUNNasked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that Private J. C. Gregson, No. 4,523,948, West Yorkshire Regiment, now of Rothwell, near Leeds, who enlisted on 5th September, 1914, was wounded at Loos on 26th September, 1915, and, after serving in Italy, went back to France and was in the battles at Hill 60 and at. Passchendale Ridge, being seriously wounded in the right leg on 7th October, 1918, has undergone 18 operations, 12 of them being reamputations, in 20 mouths, has had a femur removed from its socket and his haunch bone scraped, making it impossible for him to wear an artificial leg, and was finally discharged on 31st August, 1921, on temporary full pension, as the medical board needed further expert advice before a permanent assessment could be made; whether he is aware that, without any further examination, the 645W pension was reduced at the beginning of December, 1921, to 80 per cent.; and if he approves of this reduction?
§ Major TRYONOn discharge from the Army on 31st August last the soldier was (in accordance with the usual practice in these cases) awarded, to meet the temporary conditions of the case, pension at the maximum rate appropriate to a totally disabled man. The temporary award was for a period of 13 weeks only, and the man was so notified. On examination by a medical board before the end of this period the correct assessment authorised by the Royal Warrant, namely, 80 per cent., was fixed, and an award was accordingly made at that rate with effect from the expiration of the previous provisional award. I do not agree that the procedure in a case such as this can properly be described as a reduction of pension; and I must point out that the hon. Member's statement that the pension was reduced without any further examination is wholly inaccurate.