Mr. ROBINSONasked the Minister of Pensions if it is with his approval that forms have been issued to men in receipt of an award for 12 months and until further instructions that have to be completed by the employer, asking for particulars as to the man's absence from work and his general health; and, seeing that it has been the established practice of the Ministry to make no inquiry as to work or wages, if he will withdraw the form and issue instructions to the medical boards that a man is to be assessed on the degree of disablement found by the members of the board at the time of examination irrespective of any questions as to whether he is working or not or the nature of the work?
§ Major TRYONIn no case is any inquiry made as to the wages of a pensioner or claimant to pension for the purpose of assessing the degree of disablement resulting from the particular injury or ailment. Assessment does, however, involve a determination of the effect of the disability on function, and in certain cases where the physical symptoms, as evident to a medical man at a single inspection, are not conclusive on this point—and this is specially the case where the former frequency of medical inspection has in the interest of pensioners been reduced—information has necessarily to be obtained as to the man's actual experience of disablement. In such cases, evidence for the information of the Medical Board may take the form of information from the employer, from the approved society, or from other sources.