§ Captain LOSEBYasked the Minister of Pensions if his attention has been called to the case of Corporal Westerby, 1274W of Kirkby Malzeard, near Ripon, whose pension has been reduced on the grounds that his disability, consisting of renal asthma, was not, as originally found, caused, but only aggravated by war service; if he is aware that the disabled man never suffered from renal asthma prior to the War; that repeated official assurances have been given that where it is proved that a disability liras aggravated by war service the disabled man would receive a pension in strict accordance with the final disability without deduction for any alleged original disability; and if he will consider the advisability of circulating local pensions offices with the object of reminding them of the practice, in accordance with pledges definitely given?
§ Major TRYONMy hon. and gallant Friend is under a complete misapprehension in thinking that any reduction of pension in the ease referred to has been made on the grounds stated. So long as any degree of aggravation remains, the man's pension remains at the rate proper to the disability as a whole and as if the disability were attributable to service and had not merely been worsened by it. The decision in the particular ease referred to, that the disability was not caused but- aggravated by service, was only given after the fullest medical consideration of the case and of the nature of this complaint, and if the man is dissatisfied with the decision he has a right of appeal to the independent Appeal Tribunal.