§ 83. Mr. Levyasked the Minister of Pensions if he will consider making eligible for pension the wives of men who have married within 10 years of their final discharge from hospital rather than within 10 years of the date of their disablement.
§ Mr. Wilfred Paling:The To years period has effect not from the date of the pensioner's disablement but from the end of his war service which is normally after the 234W date of his discharge from hospital. In these circumstances I am not prepared to amend the existing provision on the lines suggested by the hon. Member.
§ Lieut.-Colonel Sharpasked the Minister of Pensions how many appeals against disability pensions decisions are now awaiting hearing by the appeal tribunals; what were the corresponding figures approximately one year and two years ago; what number of decisions were made during January and February, 1946; what action has been, and will be, taken to ensure that the tribunals deal promptly with their work; and when he anticipates that decisions will be made within two months of the lodging of an appeal.
§ Mr. Wilfred Paling:I assume that my hon. Friend has in mind appeals in respect of both death and disablement. On this assumption I give the complete figures for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
— Awaiting hearing by Tribunals. In preparation for Tribunals. Total March, 1946 10,289 14,139 24,428 March, 1945 6,620 18,107 24,727 March, 1944 2,765 17,484 20,240 January— Number of appeals February, 1946 decided 4,176 I would explain that the figures given for appeals awaiting hearing by the tribunals include a large proportion of cases which have been adjourned or placed on the deferred list at the request of or for the benefit of the appellants.
Every effort is being made both within my Department and by my noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor and the authorities in Scotland and Northern Ireland to reduce to a minimum the period between the notice of intention to appeal and the hearing of the appeal by the tribunal. It would, however, not be practicable to reduce this period to two months as the hon. and gallant Member suggests. In the first place the preparation of the statement of the case with all the documents included therein, involves considerable work. Moreover, it is of importance that the appellant should be given adequate time to prepare his case, and it is for this reason that the statutory rules of procedure provide specified periods of time for the various steps to 235W be taken in the preliminary proceedings and that ample notice of the place and date of hearing of the appeal is given to the appellant.