Captain COOTEasked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware of the distress caused to disabled men by the long intervals which elapse between the expiration of a period for which a pension is granted and their appearance before a medical board for further examination; that this distress is intensified by the delay in the re-issue of pension if such is recommended by the medical board and subsequently confirmed; and whether he will issue instructions that medical board should give the man in such cases written announcement of their finding upon which he shall be able to draw an advance of pension from his local committee?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONIt is the practice at present to arrange for medical re-examination of the men six or eight weeks in advance of the expiration of the current awards; and in any cases where the circumstances are such that a medical examination cannot be arranged in time to prevent an interruption of the pension arrangements are at once made to continue the expiring pension. Delay should not, therefore, occur. While I do not think that the proposal made by my hon. and gallant Friend in the last part of his question is advis-1464W able, I am considering how best to meet any difficulty which may arise.