§ Commander KINGasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that considerable hardship is caused to applicants to the Military Service Civil Liabilities Department for resettlement grants by reason of the delay in dealing with such applications; and whether he will arrange for more power to be given to local war pensions committees by delegating to them the making of grants up to a fixed amount in urgent cases?
§ Sir R. HORNEIt is the fact that, owing to heavy pressure and insufficient staff, the work of the Civil Liabilities Department fell into arrears during the middle and latter months of last year. I am glad to say that these arrears have now been, to a large extent, overtaken, and there is, therefore, no reason for adopting the suggestion made by the hon. and gallant Member on the ground of "removing delays."
§ Commander KINGasked the Minister of Labour whether there is any regulation under which applications for resettlement grants from the Military Service Civil Liabilities Department over twelve months from a man's discharge, and subsequent to the 30th September, 1919, are refused; and, if so, whether he will consider the modification of such regulation, in view of the fact that many pensioners receive treatment for the period of twelve months or more, while others receive training for twelve months after discharge, and such cases do not apply for grants until the expiration of such treatment or training?
§ Sir R. HORNEThe possibility of an extension of time for application in respect of disabled men has been engaging my serious attention for some time past. I have now been able to arrange with the Treasury for an extension upon the following terms:—
(1) In the case of disabled men who have had to undergo medical treatment since demobilisation, the time limit for application has been extended as follows:—
- (a) To six months after the termination of treatment, with a
240 further extension to March 31st, 1920, where the treatment ceased during the September quarter, 1919. - (b) Or, alternatively, up to November 30th, 1919, where applicants were discharged prior to the Armistice.
- (c) Up to March 31st, 1920, in cases where the local war pensions committee certify that the disabled man was deterred from making application by the committee's advice, but had he applied would have been eligible under this extended scheme.
(2) In all cases arising under paragraph I (a) and (b) applications must be accompanied by a certificate from the local war pensions committee concerned stating:—
- (a) That the applicant had been under treatment since discharge.
- (b) The date on which such treatment ceased.
(3) The time limit in regard to applications made by disabled men who have not had to undergo medical treatment since discharge will remain at at present, i.e.—
- (a) Men discharged previous to the Armistice—on or before 30th September, 1919.
- (b) Men discharged since Armistice— one year from date of demobilisation or discharge.
§ Mr. J. A. PARKINSONasked the Minister of Pensions why the application made on behalf of Sapper Herbert Fernay, No. 33,002, 56th field company, Royal Engineers, by the Pensions Committee, Wigan, for a grant to enable him to commence business has been so long delayed, seeing that he lost a leg during the war, which precluded him from following his own employment as a carpenter, and has learned boot and shoe repairing, and was given permission by the Secretary of the Pensions Committee to order the necessary materials to commence business as the grant would come through in a few days; and that this was about nine months ago, but no grant has been received by him, and the people from whom he purchased the goods are now pressing for payment?
241W
§ Sir R. HORNEI have been asked to reply to this question. The cause of delay in this ease has been due to the fact that in general it is not possible, under the rules approved by the Treasury, to assist applicants out of the Civil Liabilities Fund, who have already received training at the public expense. Certain special exceptions have been recently approved and in accordance with that decision a grant of £25 has been made to Mr. Fernay, and notification to that effect was sent to the Wigan War Pensions Committee on the 6th instant. Payment will take place upon their reporting that Mr. Fernay has the premises in which to carry on business as a shoe repairer.
§ Captain WATSONasked the Minister of Labour, whether his attention has been called to the extreme hardship involved owing to the Civil Liabilities Commissioners having refused applications by ex-soldiers on the ground that they were received more than 12 months after the date of discharge from the Army; and whether he is prepared to advise the modification or withdrawal of the regulation under which the Commissioners have so acted?
§ Major M'LEANasked the Minister of Labour, whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that under Treasury regulations applicants for grants from the Civil Liabilities Department are required to make application within a year of the date of demobilisation; whether he is aware that this requirement has operated hardly in the case of men undergoing hospital treatment, who are consequently not in a fit condition to make application; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?
§ Sir R. HORNEThe possibility of an extension of time for application in respect of disabled men has been engaging my serious attention for some time past. I have now been able to arrange with the Treasury for an extension upon terms which I am circulating with the Official Report in reply to an unstarred question by the hon. and gallant Member for the Northern Division of Norfolk.