Mr. M. WILSONasked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware of the serious hardship caused to dependants of deceased ex-service men when applying for a pension by the inability of the Ministry to obtain from medical practitioners material information relative to the death of the deceased soldier, thereby causing delay amounting in some cases to eight and nine months; and whether, since the real cause of the apparent lack of co-operation on the part of the medical profession is a question of the fee payable for the work, he will state what steps he proposes to take to insure that the applicant for a pension does not suffer in consequence of the lack of this information and that some amicable arrangement with the medical profession as a whole on the subject of supplying such information can be arrived at?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI am not aware that there is any general delay of the nature suggested; on the contrary, doctors are, as a rule, quite willing to supply the information required by my Department for the foe authorised.