§ Mr. Garry Allighanasked the Minister of Pensions the total number of applications submitted for hearing by appeal tribunals from their inception to the nearest available date, the number in which the verdict was in favour of the appellant, the number that have not yet been heard and the average monthly rate of hearing appeals, respectively.
§ Mr. Wilfred PalingThe total number of appeals, including Armed Forces, Mercantile Marine, Civil Defence and civilians, to pensions appeal tribunals received up to the 29th September, 1945, is 58,355. Of these appeals the Ministry were able on review to admit 4,748 without submission to the tribunal and 2,115 were withdrawn. From the remainder, 34,473 have been sent to the tribunal for hearing. The balance in the course of preparation, or awaiting preparation, for submission to the tribunal includes about 3,000 cases in which pension is already in payment on the basis of aggravation, the appeal being on the issue of attributability. The figure also includes 2,600 cases where the statement of the case has been prepared and is in the hands of appellants for comment. Of the appeals sent to the tribunal 6,672 have been allowed, 18,618 disallowed and 759 struck out or withdrawn. 8,424 appeals are with the tribunal for hearing or rehearing.
The present number of appeals listed for hearing is approximately 1,900 a month, of which, however, about 20 per cent. are adjourned—mainly at the appellant's request or because of his non-attendance—and relisted later.