§ Sir F. LOWEasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that the Warwickshire Appeal Tribunal (Birmingham district) has refused to allow applicants for medical re-examination to employ professional assistance; and whether, seeing that the majority of these applications are in regard to the older men coming within the Military Service (No. 2) Act, 1918, and in view of the undertaking which was given on the subject, namely, that the older men should have the same right of being represented as the younger men had hitherto possessed, he will say what action he proposes to take to compel the tribunal in question to abide by this undertaking?
§ Mr. STEPHEN WALSHThe implication contained in the question of the hon. Member is that older men are being deprived of a permission to be represented professionally when making an application to go before the medical assessors which has been granted in the case of younger men. As a fact, however, no such absolute right is available in the case of younger men, and no complaint can therefore arise in respect of older men. As far back as November last the instructions issued to tribunals were as follows
The issue before the tribunal.…will be such as should not make it necessary, unless there are quite special circumstances, for the man to appear by representative; and any practice of this kind should not be encouragedI may add that my right hon. Friend has communicated with the Appeal Tribunal 525W on this matter. They state that they have allowed professional representation to applicants for re-examination by medical assessors in special circumstances only; and that no change whatsoever has been made in their procedure in dealing with the cases of the older men.