§ Mr. PRESTONasked the Minister of Pensions how many ex-service pensioners have this year so far received institutional treatment without allowances for their families; whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that, in many instances, the wife and children of the pensioner have to have recourse to Poor Law relief; and whether he will consider granting family allowances in all cases to relieve the ratepayers of a liability which should be borne by the Ministry of Pensions?
§ Major TRYONI am unable to state the number of cases of the type referred to but they are, I understand, relatively very few. I think that, perhaps, my hon. Friend misapprehends the conditions under which allowances are granted. Allowances are payable where (though only where) the patient has suffered loss by reason of being prevented through his treatment from continuing to carry on a remunerative occupation. In these618W circumstances, I am unable to adopt the suggestion in the last part of my hon. Friend's question.