§ Mr. Rees-Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will make a statement on the procedure relating to claims by war pensioners where a claim 85W for a review of a war pension has been successful and where an increased award has been allowed, setting out the criteria to be applied in deciding whether such an increase may reasonably be backdated having regard to the failure to put forward such claim at an earlier date and upon the basis that if such a claim had been made at an earlier date it would have been equally successful.
§ Mr. Alec JonesAwards are backdated under Article 65 of the Royal Warrant and corresponding instruments only where the pensioner has been prevented by physical or mental incapacity from making his claim earlier or where there has been departmental error or misdirection. This is the counterpart of the War Pensions' practice of accepting claims without time limit.